What Happens Now
by ClairefromAyr
Summary: Set after Stefan and Elena have broken up. Just a little something to tide us over till next week and the age of Damon FINALLY begins! This is going to be arealistic slow burning one so stay with me. Delena with warnings for sex, blood letting yadda yadda...
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"I can't do this anymore Elena." Stefan said softly yet resolutely. Even in his pain he managed to hold an expression of love and respect for her. She felt her heart flutter at that realisation as she tried to think about what she was going to say in response. Part of her urged her to stop where this conversation had led them, to say something that would rewind it. She sighed and opened her mouth unsure of what words would leak out. He looked at her expectantly.

"I know." She said. Strange that those words felt right and even though that little voice inside of her was disappointed that she wasn't trying to backtrack the conversation, somehow that part of her knew that she had spoken earnestly. Stefan nodded slowly. It was strange to be breaking up but feel so calm about it. It felt sad but right. This was the kind of ending she had wanted with Matt, but she hadn't had the ability to separate herself from her raw emotions back then and Matt certainly hadn't been able too. Still, they had all aged like 10 maturity years in the past year with what they had all been through.

Elena looked down at her clasped hands, at her new daylight ring. It seemed extra shiny at the moment. Perhaps the dip in the river had done it some good. It hadn't exactly been the prettiest of rings and like Caroline she had been a little disappointed that she couldn't pick the ring she was going to have to wear for the rest of her existence, still now all she could think of when she looked down at it was that Damon had recovered it and saved her with it. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to have to wear it as a reminder of that moment. He had saved her again, but this time it had been different. This time she had realised how much she had wanted him to save her and he did.

Stefan bowed his head. "I'm going to head home, we've all got a lot to think over." He turned to look at her again, almost asking her permission to leave or perhaps giving her one last chance to tell him not to go. She nodded, smiling gently. They both stood up together and turned to each other expectantly. She moved into his arms and they held each other warmly. She breathed in his scent and tried to hold it in, memorizing it. She wasn't sure what was going to happen now. They broke apart and she saw the tears in his eyes. He held his composure well as he nodded at her one last time and headed down the stairs towards his car. They didn't speak. Elena remained on the porch watching him leave in his car, perhaps for the last time. She sat back down in her previous spot on the porch and drew in a deep breath. She felt free.

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"Don't shoot!" Damon held up his hands in mock defence as Stefan entered the boarding house. He smirked hoping that he could lighten the mood. He knew Stefan would be pissed that he had told Elena everything, but he hadn't had a choice. He could see how hurt Elena had been. It would have been the end for their relationship if he hadn't told her exactly why Stefan had been deceiving her, deceiving them all. The way she had held his hand, gazed into his eyes, spoken his name… He had been mesmerized by her. He had felt himself want to lean in and kiss her, take what he had always wanted. For the first time it would have been at her invitation and he had almost lost control and given himself to her, but he had been able to pull back just in time to stop that disaster. He had had to fix this and yet again think of his brothers' feelings.

Stefan stood staring at him expressionless from the hall. Damon snapped back to the situation at hand. Stefan continued to stare at him.

"Everything ok?" Damon frowned. Stefan took his jacket off and placed it on the coat hook. Damon stood awaiting a response from him. Stefan cast him a blank look and left the room. Damon gave out a small laugh of surprise and confusion before shouting after him. "Ok, you can shoot me if you want if it'll make you feel better." He still got no response from Stefan so he sat down a little gobsmacked. Surely Stefan couldn't be that mad, he must understand why Damon had told her. It was for his benefit for god sake!

Stefan didn't breathe until he reached his bedroom and closed the door. He knew he was acting childishly but he had no idea how to deal with Damon right now. He felt so conflicted he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He began pacing the room, adrenaline pumping through his body aching for an outlet. He tried sitting down in his chair and writing his feelings down but when he tried to form a coherent thought he couldn't stop picturing Elena's face and how relaxed she had been when he had said that he couldn't be in the middle of this love triangle anymore. She hadn't looked upset, unsure or even argued with him about it. She had seemed sure that he was doing the right thing and that hurt. It hurt more than he would ever be able to put into words and write down. The urge to turn it off came upon him with such force that he considered it. He took a deep breath, becoming aware that he had snapped the pen he had placed on the page of his journal. He laid the pen down and stared at it. How had they gotten here?

He knew that a lot of this was his fault, he had tried to kill her, tortured her, bit her when he had been under Klaus's control and even afterwards when he was no longer a minion, he had had to look after his own interests and they came first. Turning it back on had led him back to her, but everything that he had done had changed her. She and Damon had always had something that he couldn't put his finger on or explain. The way they looked at each other sometimes as though they could read each others' minds had made him wild with jealousy and envy. When he had turned it back on and they had begun to try to rebuild their relationship, he had known then that she had changed. Damon had changed too. Had Elena simply been working very hard to bring back the feelings of love she had had for him, rather than feeling them again? God he really thought that her becoming a vampire would help her understand him better. Now that she had firsthand experience of what blood could do to your mind, how the thirst could control your actions and decisions, he had hoped she would be able to forgive some of his transgressions. Instead, she had gone to Damon. She had understood his transgressions and she seemed to have forgiven _him, _but she couldn't let everything that Stefan had done go. How was that fair?

Now she had basically told him that she wanted Damon, that their time had passed with the human Elena. As a vampire she wanted Damon. He had known this was going to happen but he had hoped that if they could make her human again she may return to the girl he had known or at the very least she would be able to evaluate properly without the attraction of the blood and all the ways that Damon could help guide her. Even though she knew that this was all a possibility, she had still effectively drawn a line in the sand over the relationship. Perhaps she thought that even as a human she would still feel the same as she felt right now. Perhaps she would still not want to be with him. He badly wanted to believe that perhaps he might have another chance if they could cure her, but then Damon had made it clear to him that he loved her either way and if they became a couple now, he wouldn't want to let her go no matter how much she would change if she became human again. Damon had waited a long time to be with her and he would pull out the stops to keep her. Stefan growled under his breath in jealousy and hate. He wasn't sure whether Damon deserved to be hated or whether the hate he was feeling was self loathing, all he knew was that he was angry and he didn't know what to do about it. It was dangerous for him to feel this way, he had to calm down. Hunting would help. He got up from his desk and moved to the door, when he realised that he didn't trust himself not to hurt Damon if he had to see him on the way out, so he turned and opened the window to leave that way. He would deal with Damon later when he had calmed down.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Elena sat staring at the blank page of her diary. She had so much to write about but she didn't even know where to start. Things with Stefan were over. She felt it was right. Damon had saved her again and despite how much she could see he had wanted her this morning as she had held their hands together lovingly, he had still tried to fix her relationship with Stefan. It made her heart blossom for him all the more and she smiled to herself as she pictured how he had gazed at her longingly. All she wanted to do right now was to tell him how she felt. She wanted to tell him how she adored him, how she felt like he was the only person in the universe who understood her right now and how much of herself she wanted to share with him. She had held back so many feelings for him for so long, she didn't know if it was possible to convey them to him adequately with words. She looked down at her ring and thanked the universe for getting Damon to her in time to stop her suicide. She had really wanted to die, it felt like the right thing to do. She had been feeling the urge to end it clawing at her insides since her transition, but right now she wanted nothing more than to live. She couldn't imagine never seeing Damon's face again, never being able to talk to him, laugh with him. Now that things with Stefan were over she could figure out exactly what kind of person she wanted to be without fear of disappointing Stefan or hurting him. Still, she was still very capable of hurting him. She sighed, wondering how she should deal with what happens next. Her gut reaction was to call Damon and bombard him with words of love but Stefan was still his brother and he wouldn't want to hurt him. They would have to play this delicately. She was startled out of her thoughts by a vibration from her phone. She picked it up and saw Damon's' name appear on the screen. Butterflies battered around inside of her as she pondered on what to say to him. Had Stefan told him how she felt, how they had ended things?

"Hi!" Was all she could say when she pressed the call button.

"Hey, are you ok?" Damon sounded confused. She wondered again just what Damon knew.

"Yeah I'm fine, what's wrong?" She decided to play it cool.

"Stefan isn't talking to me and he actually snuck out the window like a damn teenager. Did you give him a hard time?" He sighed. Elena could feel her face get hot with guilt. Obviously Stefan hadn't told him anything but Stefan was angry that she had said she wanted Damon and was taking it out on him.

"No, I…" She wasn't sure what to say. Surely Stefan should be the one to tell Damon about their conversation. Shouldn't he? "Maybe he's just worried about how Klaus will respond when he finds out we all know." She stammered trying to sound convincing. She couldn't see his face but she could tell he was frowning in response to her assumption.

"Hmmmn." He said, unconvinced. "Are you sure everything's alright?" He asked again and she nodded before realising that he couldn't see her.

"U-Huh." She said trying to sound casual. She knew he wasn't convinced by that either as he snorted.

"Ok. I think I hear him coming back. I'll catch you later."

"Ok." She squeaked as he hung up. Was she a coward for not explaining to him? Stefan would have it out with him eventually, maybe she should just let them deal with it like brothers do. She just hoped they would do it soon.

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"Thought you might climb back in through the window Spiderman." Damon jested as Stefan entered the front door. He didn't look good. He was flushed so he must have been feeding, but he seemed very tense.

"What's going on Stefan?" Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't be that mad at me for telling her. I did it for you."

Stefan laughed cruelly and shook his head in disbelief at Damon. "Because everything you do is for my best interests right?" Stefan shot the comment out at him. Damon uncrossed his arms frowning. Where was this coming from? Stefan advanced towards him, still with a bitter expression on his face.

"You are always thinking of me whenever you butt in and get involved in my relationship with Elena. It's never because you want to be involved for your own reasons."

"What are you trying to say Stefan? You want me to apologise for saving your girlfriends butt _again_ and then stopping her from hating you by telling her why you've been such a douche lately?" Damon almost chuckled at how ridiculous this conversation was. He had forgone the opportunity to allow Elena to hate his brother and perhaps kiss him, to put his brothers feelings first and he was getting agro for it?

Stefan shook his head again and swallowed, looking down at the ground. He looked kind of defeated. Damon stood observing him, waiting for the hint that he has going to spring at him any minute and attack him like they had done countless times over Elena before, but Stefan didn't move. The longer they stood the more concerned Damon grew. He began to approach Stefan slowly, like you would approach an injured animal.

"Stefan, what's going on?" He kept his tone gentle and unassuming. Stefan met his eyes and he could see that he was upset. What the hell had happened that could make Stefan so rattled? Stefan put his hand up to signal that he didn't want Damon to come any closer.

"Don't Damon. You've won." Damon simply stared at him in confusion. "It's over."

"What?"

"Elena and I broke up." Damon stood unsure of how to respond.

"Oh." Was all he could think to say, as he tried to keep his expression as blank as possible. The last thing he wanted was to make Stefan react in a negative manner. Silence fell between them both that seemed to stretch on to the point of making them both very uncomfortable. Stefan smirked and leaned in towards Damon slightly.

"Let's not pretend that this isn't the best day of your life." Stefan said matter of factly. Damon wasn't sure what to say or if he should say anything at all so he just stood there. All of the air in his lungs had evaporated suddenly and he didn't think his voice would work even if he wanted it to.

Stefan leaned back and smiled at him contemptuously before moving past Damon and heading up to his room. Damon stood staring after him until he was gone from view and he heard his door close. He blinked trying to assess the situation. His brain was scrambled! He thought that Elena had understood why Stefan had done everything he had in the past few weeks. Had he said something to make it worse? He tried to analyse the conversation that Elena and he had had this morning, but he couldn't find any fault with what he had told her. What had happened? He tried to ignore the little voice in his head that was rejoicing at the prospect that perhaps she would want him. He hadn't missed the look in her eyes this morning, but he couldn't think on this right now. Stefan was his brother and he was in pain, but…he had wanted her so long. If she had ended things because she felt something more for Damon, then shouldn't he go to her? He felt dizzy from the information overload and he leaned against the wall for support. What was he supposed to do now?


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

It had been a stressful couple of days for Damon. Stefan still wouldn't acknowledge his existence and he was still at a loss as how to respond to this whole situation. To top it off, Elena had asked him to accompany her to the Miss Mystic Falls event today, as he had been her dancing partner and escort the last time (when Stefan had gone off the deep end and killed Amber in blood lust). Damon sighed looking at his reflection as he buttoned up his suit jacket. Why had he said yes? He chuckled at how often he put himself in this miserable situation lately. He loved Elena, Stefan loved Elena and Elena…well, Elena's feelings were questionable at the moment. Yet, here he was, getting all jazzed up to pretend that he wasn't in complete hell at these turn of events. He really loved torturing himself didn't he – that much he was sure of. If he had any sense he would leave and just let Stefan and Elena figure things out. He was sure that the changes in her feelings were part of her transition and that she would be able to sort her head out given time. He, on the other hand would always love her and because of that he had to be the good guy here. He had to put her well-being first and not let his heart rule his head.

Stefan entered his room and slouched against the door frame. This was new. Stefan hadn't so much as looked at him in days. Perhaps this was progress? Damon eyed him from the mirror, not wanting to turn around in case he scared him away.

"Sorry this room is taken." Damon said sarcastically, trying to sound nonchalant about the fact that his brother was denying his existence. Stefan snorted in response and continued to watch as Damon brushed his outfit off and turned to face him. Stefan looked pained but was trying to hide it. Damon knew that urge very well.

"What are you going to do?" Stefan finally said, still leaning his weight against the door.

"I'm going to smile, dance with a few of Mystic Falls finest and try very hard not to eat anyone." Damon smirked at his brother, only half managing to retain his air of arrogance as he gulped. Stefan didn't even blink at Damon's comment.

"I mean about Elena." Stefan said simply, but without crippling emotion like Damon expected. Damon didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected Stefan to be so forthright about this. Damon opened his mouth but was unsure of how to respond, hell he didn't even know how he felt about this either yet. He was sure that he didn't want his brother to suffer though. He and Stefan hadn't been this close since they were still human and he didn't want anything to jeopardise that. Stefan smiled mockingly at Damon's confused expression and shook his head.

"It's just a silly dance Stefan." Damon conceded. He knew that that didn't answer Stefan's' question but it was all he could muster. Stefan smiled again, almost as if he was in on a secret that Damon wasn't privy too, but Damon knew he would never had given up on his relationship with Elena unless she had told him she had feelings for someone else. Stefan hadn't gone into specifics about what Elena had said but Damon could guess that he was a factor. He desperately wanted to feel happy about that but he just couldn't when it made his brother the shell he had become the past few days. Damon tried to smile reassuringly at Stefan as he headed out of his bedroom towards the on-coming storm awaiting him.

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So far the dance hadn't been so bad. Damon had drank some very expensive bourbon, thanks to the late Mayor Lockwood, he had enjoyed flirting with the various ladies he had caught staring at him in all his finery and nobody had died mysteriously or viciously…yet. Everything was going well, until he saw her. She descended the staircase, just as she had done that time before when he had had to jump in at the last minute to save her from embarrassment, except this time she positively glowed with radiance. He felt his jaw drop slightly as he took the vision of her in. Last time she had been human and fragile and worried for Stefan, but this time she was confident, graceful and couldn't take her eyes from his. He felt rooted to the spot as though he couldn't move when her gaze was upon him. He had to remind himself to breathe lest someone notice and call an ambulance! She seemed to forget that there was anyone else in the room but him and he liked it. He cleared his throat trying to bring his thoughts down from somewhere that would get him into a lot of trouble. He moved forward and offered her his arm like a gentleman and escorted her out to the dance.

They barely spoke to each other throughout the dance, but boy did she know how to make him suffer. Her gaze became smouldering the longer she looked at him and he found himself having to glance away occasionally like a love-struck teenager. She wasn't going to make this easy on him. He finally got a repose when the last dance ended and the ladies were encouraged to change into their evening gowns upstairs. Damon blew out a sigh of relief as Elena exited to go upstairs with Caroline. He put his hands on his hips and tilted forward slightly, almost as though he felt winded. He chuckled at the ridiculousness of it, thinking on how Alaric would find this payback amusing. Damon had always taken particular care to smoulder at Elena and try and get a reaction from her and now she had turned the tables on him! Poetic justice at its best. Time for some more Bourbon he thought as he looked around for Stefan. Stefan although not actually part of the events, had tagged along for the ride. Damon had thought he was mad for doing this to himself but then again Stefan did enjoy a good brood. They were more alike than he had realised until that point. They both loved the same girl and even though it killed them to sit back and watch her with someone else, they were both willing to do it. The more worrying thing was that they were incapable of _not_ doing so. What a pair!

Damon thought he had made it past the grand staircase, where he knew the ladies would be descending again in new attire, when he heard her small voice call to him from above. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling caught again before he raised his head and looked up at her.

"Damon, we need to talk." She put simply beckoning him to come up to her. He frowned unsure of whether this was a good idea. Of course he wanted to go to her in a flash but he knew Stefan was around someone probably watching and he didn't want to give him the wrong impression. Still, he couldn't delay this conversation forever. He gave her an awkward smile and began ascending the stairs to her. He followed her into her dressing room, which was surprisingly free of the other ladies and she closed the door. There was that feeling of dread in his stomach again!

Suddenly she looked nervous and unsure too. She began wringing her hands together as she thought about what she wanted to say. Damon became mesmerized by the swell of her breasts in the new dress she had put on, he had to shake himself out of it before he crossed any lines.

"Damon, I have been wanting to talk to you since the other day. Stefan and I aren't together anymore and I wanted to talk to you about what happened." She said, obviously very nervous as she had trouble looking him in the eyes. He nodded and tried to put on his most innocent smile for her.

"Things haven't been working out between Stefan and me since he came back. I thought that maybe we could get back to what we had been but everything's changed so much I..."

"You don't have to explain Elena. I was there." Damon butted in gently trying to relax her as she became more anxious, pacing the room. She stopped pacing and looked at him blushing.

"Thing is, the choice I made was based on what I thought we could get back, but I know that that's not what I want anymore." Damon gulped as her felt his stomach clench in anticipation and fear. She stopped to look at him again and she took a deep breath. "It's not who I want anymore." She held his gaze pointedly and he felt his face heat up.

"Elena…"he whispered almost in a warning tone but a little gentler. She took a few steps towards him.

"No, Damon wait! This isn't a split second decision. You know how I have been feeling for a while now. I just finally understand what I feel and I know what I want." Damon shook his head and backed up a step, trying to smirk and chuckle at her, but she advanced further until she was in his space and held his face in her hands towards her own. His pupils dilated to the size of golf balls and he felt himself sweating at her proximity. This was very not good!

"I want you Damon. I love you." She said as she stroked his face so tenderly. He was hypnotized by her. "I will always feel for Stefan but I just don't feel that way for him anymore. I need you." The mention of Stefan's name brought him back down to earth with a crash again and he managed to move away from her touch towards the window. She seemed confused and gave out a hurt sigh as he moved. He clenched his fists on the window pane, trying to gain his composure again. He could see her expression reflected in the glass. She looked gutted and tearful. He didn't want to hurt her but there was no other way. This couldn't happen, not right now, not with Stefan here and hurting. His voice cracked slightly as he began to speak.

"Elena, you're going through a lot of changes just now and you know I am here for you…" She let out a small sob and he closed his eyes tightly, trying not to see her reflection again. "…but Stefan is my brother and this can't happen." He didn't dare turn to look at her because he feared his resolve would vanish if he saw her face.

"I'm sorry" she whispered and he could tell she was crying. "I never wanted to put either of you through this. I guess I'm just selfish and afraid that I will lose you." He turned around to look at her now. She was holding herself and looking at him. His heart squeezed and he almost gasped at the severity of the emotion. He longed to comfort her but he was too busy fighting back the voices in his own head that were screaming at him to kiss her, accept her love and finally have her.

"I told you that I would never leave you again. I made you that promise remember?" He said. She nodded and looked to the floor.

"Damon, I don't know if I can pretend that I don't want you." He looked at her startled for a moment. "I don't think I can go back now." She gave him a watery smile. He stiffened slightly and huffed out some air. "Could you go?" She threw in, trying to get him to respond honestly.

"We have to, for Stefan's sake." He said frowning.

"And when Stefan is ok?"

"If." He pointed out to her the huge hole in her theory. Stefan could be in pain over this for at least 50 years. Hell he had felt like that for Katherine for 140ish years.

"I was never sure if you really meant it you know. When you said you loved me. I knew you believed what you felt but I never really knew whether you understand what it means." She was pulling herself together now, speaking with less emotion. He felt pricked by her words and he wasn't sure he liked where this was going. He raised his eyebrows and resorted to a little sarcasm to cover the hurt he felt at her assumptions.

"I've been around a long time honey. I loved Katherine for over 140 years. I think I understand more about love than your 18 years have taught you." She didn't seem fazed by his words.

"But you weren't loved back. It's different Damon." Damon huffed in anger and stepped around her heading for the door.

"Do you love me Damon?" He stopped shy of the door handle and sighed hanging his head in reservation.

"You know I do." He said quietly. She came up behind him and turned him by his shoulder to face her again.

"Then let me love you, please." She said gently, touching his face again. He couldn't help closing his eyes as she stroked his cheekbones delicately. She leaned up to his mouth and kissed him deeply, backing him against the door. He melted into her embrace as though he was a dying man and she was an angel. His peace was short lived though as he realised what was happening.

"Stop!" he exclaimed in between her kisses. Elena had no such intentions. "Elena, stop." He whimpered as he held her back from him. The need and longing in her eyes almost drove him mad with desire but he closed his eyes for a moment, holding her at arms reach. "We can't" he said sadly. He saw an expression flutter over her face which he didn't recognise and then she was kissing him again, holding him tight so that he couldn't restrain her. Every cell in his body burned for her. He almost felt like crying out in frustration and pain as she stroked her arm around his side to hold him to her breast. He had to stop this. He tried to push her backwards again and heard her give out a sob as he did so. Frightened he had hurt her, he pulled his face away from hers to look at her concerned. What he saw there was going to haunt him.

She looked just as tortured as he did. He could see how much she wanted him, her eyes gave her away, but she was also hurt at his rejection and desperate. If he lived another 150 years he was never going to forget this look on her face. He reached out to stroke her face and comfort her but she shrugged away from him as she began sobbing into her hands.

"Elena, I'm sorry…" He said almost on the verge of tears himself. She shook her head and sat down at her dressing table turning away from him. There was no more either of them could say. He lingered for another minute, unsure of whether he should leave but then he heard Mrs Lockwood announce a toast downstairs and he realised that his lack of presence downstairs might be misconstrued by Stefan. A few minutes longer and it may have not been misconstrued! Elena heard the chatter downstairs too and she turned and looked at him nodding. That was his key to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Elena hadn't bothered to return to the rest of the festivities. She couldn't. Everything she felt was so heightened and she knew that even as a human she was incapable of hiding her true feelings from others. She had gazed at her own reflection in the dressing room mirror for long enough to know that she couldn't fake a smile. Damon was down there and he wouldn't comfort her. She kicked herself for thinking that this might be easy. That she would be able to tell Damon how she felt about him and that he would automatically rush into her arms and take her without a second thought for Stefan. Stupid. Selfish. Inconsiderate. The voices in her head gave her no relief for her own purgatory tonight. She had put herself in between them, even enjoyed it at times and now they were going to squeeze her out of the equation like a weed. They were family, she was not. She knew that being angry with them was unfair, after all none of them had planned on any of this. It had been so simple before Damon. Before his ice coloured eyes had melted with obvious devotion and love for her.

She had left the Lockwood Manor without telling anyone. She needed to be alone and even though her natural instincts were to tell Caroline or Bonnie, she knew they wouldn't understand. Neither of them liked Damon, they couldn't see the good in him so what was the point of trying to get them to understand why she had spent the last half hour holed up in her dressing room dry retching at the memory of his refusal to be with her. She had seen the tears in his eyes as he left. She knew he was hurting too but somehow that just made her feel worse. He wanted her as much as she did him and still, he wouldn't allow it. She scolded herself for not being more supportive, thinking that if she and Jeremy were in such a situation with another person they both loved that she would be able to do the same for Jer. Truth was that all she could focus on was how much she needed Damon. It was taking over her very thought. Even when she had been with Stefan, he hadn't consumed her every waking moment like she had experienced for Damon over the past few days. He was like a drug that she was hooked on and her comedown was excruciating – as if the blood lust on top of it all wasn't enough!

She reached home and wearily dragged her tired limbs up to her room. Jeremy was still a little on edge being alone with her at night since she had _accidently_ stabbed him in the neck, so he was out with Matt and April tonight. Another relationship issue she was going to have to fix with her brother. He had been so good, comforting her and trying to understand her new nature, but being killed by her in a hallucinatory fashion didn't earn her any confidence brownie points. She flopped down on her bed, not caring that she was still in her evening dress and makeup and closed her eyes. She was mentally and physically exhausted. A part of her still hoped that perhaps Damon would realise that she wasn't there and come rushing over to see her, so she dragged herself up and opened the window. She smiled at herself, thinking how pathetically needy she was right now. She felt like a teenager dreaming of a white knight showing up in her bedroom in the middle of the night to steal her away to a better life. Damon was no white knight, but she would take him if he came without a second thought. She lay back down with her back to the window, hoping that if she slept for a while and then turned over she would see him on the window seat waiting for her. The hope of such a possibility made her choke with a sob. She tried to hold it in with all her might but lost the battle before it had even begun. God, crying was going to get soooo old soon!

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Stefan sat down under the tree by the porch and closed his eyes. He could hear Elena's sobs from down here. He felt tears fill his own eyes for her suffering and still he didn't budge from his position. He could tell from the expression Damon had had when he descended from her dressing room that their conversation hadn't gone well. He had been surprised at that. His brother had been waiting for this moment for so long, that he thought he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from Elena. Stefan felt confused, angry, guilty… He still felt mad at Damon, not because she had picked Damon now, but simply because Damon had been a factor in their relationship at all. Now he understood what Damon had meant when he had confessed to him long ago that the reason Damon had hated him was not because Stefan had forced him to turn, but that Katherine had turned him too when Damon had thought he was the one and only. It all made perfect sense now. What was Stefan supposed to do now? Damon had spent the rest of the night making idle chit chat and schmoozing the other available ladies in the main room, but he hadn't fooled Stefan one bit. Damon was playing a role and that was all. Why was it that that made Stefan feel responsible? He was the one who had been dumped, so why was he the one feeling bad for the perpetrators?

Stefan leaned back against the porch steps and smelled the night air. The crickets were out and singing loudly. He used to enjoy sitting out here, keeping watch over Elena as she slept. It had made him feel so peaceful. Could he still feel like this if he knew his brother was inside with Elena, tangled up in her arms? He pondered on that thought for a while until he heard the unmistakeable sound of Damon's car approaching. He quickly jumped off the porch and hid around the side of the house, all the while unsure of why he felt like he had to hide. Perhaps part of him was desperate to eavesdrop. Perhaps that part of him was desperate to have more fuel to add to the hatred of Damon's effect on Elena. He held his breath as he watched Damon get out of his car and look up at the house. Damon seemed frozen to the spot, contemplating. Stefan leaned closer to the wall to give himself some support and more cover from Damon's view. Damon must have been able to hear Elena's sniffles, now coming a little less frequently as she was evidently falling asleep. Damon approached the porch steps and sat down. Stefan couldn't help but feel the irony of Damon's position considering he had taken Stefan's place on the steps, gazing into the night. Perhaps they weren't so different after all, Stefan pondered.

Stefan was about to turn and leave, strangely feeling like an intruder to a funeral or something, when he heard it. A sniffle. He leaned back to the wall again and listened. A choked sob and a shaky breath. It couldn't be. Stefan frowned and moved a little closer to see if her ears were deceiving him. Damon was crying? Damon never cried! In all the time Stefan had known him he had only cried twice – when their mother had died and then when they thought that Katherine had perished in the church. Stefan couldn't believe what he was seeing before him. Damon wiped his eyes with his arm and took in a great breath of air trying to balance himself again but sobbed again silently afterwards. Stefan felt a cold pressure around his heart as he watched. This wasn't a small scene to observe, this was the biggest thing on the planet to have been privy to observe. Damon always managed to keep his humanity in check so well to the point of infuriation, but he was completely distraught at this moment. Stefan felt tears build in his own eyes as he watched, unable to tear himself away. Damon closed his eyes and lowered his head, a few tears dropping from his face as he did so before he raised himself up from the steps and headed back to his car solemnly. He sped away and was gone leaving Stefan to sob a little of his own tears against the wall of the Gilbert house. The only problem was that he didn't know who his tears were for.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Elena awoke with a start, she was freezing! Then she remembered she had left her window open all night in the vain hope that Damon would come by. She got up and closed it, trying her best not to feel like an idiot for hoping that he would show up. She wasn't quite sure what this meant for everything now. Stefan hadn't been in contact for days, so she had to assume that he didn't want to see her at the moment and now that Damon had made it clear that Stefan was his priority, she felt like she couldn't see him either. She felt abandoned. She had always thought that it would be unbearable if one of them left and now she had neither of them. She held herself tightly and tried to pull herself together. Damon had reminded her that he had promised never to leave her, so she should take some comfort in the fact that he reiterated that to her last night. He wouldn't leave, but he couldn't be with her either. Could she deal with that? Could she pretend that it didn't bother her that she burned at the very thought of his touch and yet she couldn't act like it? Last night she had been so desperate to show him that she couldn't and he had still managed to shake her off. Damon had been her rock lately and she wasn't sure if she could manage without him. She looked down at herself and realised that she had slept in her evening gown. Caroline was going to be mad! She had taken so much care and effort to make sure Elena had the perfect outfit for the evening dance and she had ran off without a second glance in Caroline's direction.

Elena picked up her phone fearing the worst when she saw the dreaded 5 messages from Caroline demanding to know where she was and then descending into levels of worry. Elena sighed and dialled Caroline's number, almost hoping that Caroline wouldn't answer so she didn't have to lie.

"Elena are you ok?" Caroline asked worried.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I bailed Care, but I just needed to get out of there." Elena said.

"Did something happen? Stefan was weird last night and then I noticed you had left. Did you have a fight or something?"

"Care, Stefan and I broke up." Elena stated, trying not to sound too blunt. Elena had taken care not to divulge this information to her friends as she didn't know how to explain in a way that they would appreciate.

"What?" Caroline sounded disappointed. Elena bit her lip. "What happened?" Caroline continued.

"I don't know, I just feel different about us now. So much has changed between us."

"Does this have anything to do with Damon?" Elena felt slightly nauseated at Caroline's' perceptiveness.

"Ever since I turned my feelings for Damon have become more intense." Elena couldn't be bothered trying to deny it. It seemed like too much work to lie to Caroline. Caroline made a noise intimating that she had assumed as much.

"Have you spoken to Damon about all of this?" Caroline queried.

"I tried." Elena's voice broke out-with her control and she had to place her hand over her mouth to stop her from sounding any more distraught. "He's more concerned about Stefan."

Caroline sighed into the receiver as Elena closed her eyes for a minute to pull herself together. She wasn't going to cry over the phone!

"They both love you Elena. You need to give them time."

"What am I supposed to do though Care? I don't think I can do this alone." Elena sniffled, trying to bite back the urge to pour her heart out all at the one time.

"You're not alone Elena. I am here, Bonnie's here, Jeremy's…"

"They don't understand." Elena interrupted. Caroline sighed, sounding slightly hurt.

"I do. I understand completely and I am going to help you through this, just like Stefan helped me. Ok?" Caroline sounded resolute and sure that she could help her through this transformation. Elena immediately felt guilty for underestimating her friends' empathy.

"I'm sorry Care, I didn't mean that. I just feel like all I can think about right now is…" Elena didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Damon." Caroline finished for her. "I'm not going to pretend to understand why you feel the way you do. I've watched things grow between you and I get that he loves you. I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Stefan though." Caroline was a lot of things but she wasn't a liar and Elena actually appreciated Caroline's' honesty.

"I will always feel for him Care, but it's just how I feel. I want to be with Damon. If we can't be together, then I want to be on my own. I just hope that it doesn't come to that."

"Ok, I get it. Let's just get you sorted first ok? Do you need help feeding today? I haven't fed from the vein for a while but I can go with you and help?" Caroline queried. The only person Elena wanted to help her hunt was Damon though. She sighed and contemplated a hunt with Caroline. Caroline was so good at restraint. Elena would feel embarrassed or stressed trying to match Caroline's' abilities.

"Actually, I think I wanna try it on my own."

"Are you sure that's a good idea right now? What if you hurt someone?" Caroline sounded very sceptical.

"I have to learn how to do it on my own eventually. I can't always be depended on my babysitters."

"Ok. If you need me, just call and I will be there in a second ok?"

"Thanks. Call you later."

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"You let her go alone Caroline? Are you nuts?" Stefan exclaimed in horror as he held the receiver tightly in his hands. He began pacing the room, trying to decide whether he should shadow Elena and make sure that she didn't hurt someone.

"She needs to know that she can do this Stefan, if we try and suffocate her anymore I think she's going to break. You didn't hear her on the phone earlier. She needs this." Caroline justified, however even Stefan could detect a hint of remorse in Caroline's voice. Caroline was putting her faith in Elena and she wasn't 100% positive that it was a good idea either. Elena had sounded so defeated though and she needed to gain some control and confidence. Elena would never be able to survive if she didn't start believing in herself and becoming more independent from the Salvatore's.

Damon entered the foyer, he was obviously listening to their conversation with great interest. Stefan shot him a dirty look and ended the call. Damon maintained the distance between them wearily.

"I thought you were going to be her little feeding teacher." Stefan spat out agitated.

"I was." Damon said simply, confident that he had shown Elena the ropes at the Frat party. "She's a big girl Steph. She's gotta make her own way in the big bad world eventually."

Stefan shook his head and laughed bitterly. "So, if she loses control, is it going to be your fault or mine? This was never my idea and she's technically not my problem anymore, she's yours." Damon frowned at Stefan's' anger and bitterness. How long was he going to be punished because Stefan was hurting? Yet again, Damon didn't know what to say. He had a week of feeling like he should simply sit down and shut up – a new experience for him. Still, when the world was crumbling around you and you were powerless to stop it, what else is there to do but bear witness?

Stefan seemed to reel himself in and become calm again. He looked up at Damon for a second. "Go look after her." Damon's ears pricked as he thought he was mishearing Stefan. He raised his eyebrows in response. "She wants you Damon. She needs your help." Damon crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to ascertain whether he would regret following Stefan's request later. After all, he could see Stefan wanted him to go to Elena, that she did need him, but at the same time was he going to pay for it later with Stefan's continuing mood swings and behaviour?

"Stop playing around and just do it. I know how much you want her. Just get it over with already." Stefan turned his back and sat down. Damon pondered yet another minute wondering what those words had really meant. Did Stefan just give him permission to be with Elena? Was he just talking about going to her just now? He was desperate to ask, but Stefan's roar startled him out of his question.

"Get out of here!" Stefan roared, still keeping his back to Damon. Damon took a few steps back before turning and leaving the boarding house in search of Elena.

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	6. Chapter 6

Ok folks, thanks for the reviews so far. We are all lying in wait, nervous about what we are going to get from TVD this Thursday. Let's hope they won't toy with us like they have been for the past 4 years and just give us some nice Delena. I for one, think they will probably disappoint and that's why this story has been slow going. Realistically, I don't think Damon will just jump into bed with her. It'll take time. Hopefully this little story will give us a hit until we get what we want. I will post everyday till Thursday, in the hope that I can satisfy you all just in case they don't give us all a break;-)!

CHAPTER 6

Elena hadn't realised how hungry she had been until she caught the scent of some hikers in the woods. She had been on her way to a bar outside of town, somewhere far enough away that she wouldn't run into anyone she knew, but the scent of sweat and exertion coming from the hikers had made her pull over and head into the woods following them. At least if something bad happened here, it would be a believable animal attack she thought. She almost laughed at herself until she realised how awful that statement had been. She felt a swirl of guilt turn over in her stomach as she tried to snap out of it and remember that she was going to have to make sure that she could stop. She didn't want to be a killer, or at least, she didn't want to kill anyone else. She was already a killer.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had to focus if she was going to do this right. If Damon could feed without killing people then damn it so could she! She was going to prove to everyone that she could do this. Maybe if she did, they would all stop trying to protect her from everything all of the time. If she could manage on her own, she wouldn't need Damon's help and perhaps it would make it easier to have some distance from him. If it was that easy for him to walk away from her then she would have to find a way to make sure she could torture him like that too. Revenge wasn't something she had ever felt the desire for before but she still couldn't believe that Damon hadn't shown up after the party last night. She had had a hellish night and day and he hadn't even texted to see if she got home ok. She wanted him to feel this torment. She wanted to make him squirm like she had been doing. The intensity of her emotion, took her by surprise, but she couldn't help but feel unapologetic about it.

The hikers were quite near to her position now so she hid behind some shrubs. Damon had taught her to engage them like a human, compel, feed and erase afterwards, but right now the pit of her stomach growled with anger as well as hunger. She didn't want to be gentle, she wanted to rip them open and drink their last drop. She looked through the shrubs as they came into view. How ironic – one of them kind of looked like Damon. He was mid 20s, dark hair, well built and was making some cocky joke to the other two men. He was the one.

He was taking up the flank as he heard some rustling nearby. Elena wanted to separate him from the herd. She didn't want to be disturbed by the other two when she pounced. She crept slowly, taking care to step on branches and have them crack quite satisfactorily enough to draw his attention. He stopped to listen for a second as he scanned the area. His friends continued on ahead, laughing and joking with each other. She could smell alcohol on their scent, which made her all the more confident she could do what she wanted. The dark haired one turned to follow his friends when she gave out a small sob, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Hello?" He shouted, coming closer to where she had curled up in a ball on the ground. If Damon could draw people in with his 'lying in the middle of the road pretending to be an injured person' scenario, this would work too. She heard his breathing speed up as he spotted her and rushed over to her.

"Oh my god are you ok?" He said concerned touching her shoulder gently. She lifted her head to look up at him and noticed his brown eyes gazing down at her, trying to look for injuries. Close up he didn't look like Damon at all. She had wanted to pretend he was Damon. She wanted to pull his arms and legs off and hear his screams as she imagined she was doing it to Damon. She was convinced she'd feel better if she could hear Damon screaming in agony like she had been feeling. This guy didn't look like Damon anymore and although that should have helped her see reason in her urges, it just made her angrier. Why wasn't it Damon?! She sprang for him and tore at his throat harshly. The dark haired stranger screamed and she clamped her hand over his mouth tightly, bruising. His screams were unsatisfactory after all. His voice was too different from Damon's. He struggled trying to fight her off. He was strong but she was much stronger. She felt his shoulder dislocate as she pulled at him. It wouldn't take much to tear his arm off now. She swallowed messily, no longer interested in the blood as much as the carnage, as she went to tear his arms off. Something heavy hit her in the back and winded her suddenly, throwing her off of the human and onto her back against a tree. She blinked confused and startled as she tried to figure out what had just happened. The dark haired human groaned in agony from somewhere but she couldn't see him. A flash of dark ran past her, knocking her back into the tree she was slumped against as she realised her prey was being taken further away. She growled and stood slowly, scanning for the intruder. Her breathing was still quick and harsh as she scanned the trees. She was ready to fight whoever was out here, stealing away her conquest. Then she smelled him. She felt her teeth clench together as Damon approached slowly with an angry look on his face. Maybe she would get her wish after all. She had just fed and she was strong. She could smell that he hadn't fed today. He looked at her in expectation as she lunged for him, desperate to make him bleed, to make him suffer.

He didn't move as she crashed into him and tore his throat open. He fell backwards onto the ground and she felt victorious. His blood sprayed over her face and she lapped at it. His blood tasted so wonderful, she had not forgotten how it had warmed her when they had shared at the Grill. It tasted like him, it reminded her of his unconditional love for her, his need and the more she drank as he lay still, the more she could feel her own heartbreak stir in her chest. She had to shut it out. She wanted to hurt him, he had to suffer! She pulled her head away from his neck and pulled him roughly up from the ground, slamming him into a tree and breaking his arm. He yelled in pain as she did so but he still didn't fight her. It just made her madder! She growled kicking him until he crumpled onto the ground. He looked so pathetic she growled all the more.

"Fight me you coward!" She heard herself screech at him as he bowed his head away from her. Why wasn't he putting up a fight? He was older and stronger than she was. The longer he let her beat him, the closer she was to the tightening in her chest that threatened to burst. She couldn't take it. She kicked him again and he flew about a foot in the air and crashed to the ground. He looked done and although this was what she had wanted, she didn't feel the satisfaction she had been hoping for. She felt emptier than before.

"Elena." She heard the whisper from somewhere behind her. She spun around expecting attack as she growled, her fangs out and ready. It was Stefan. He was looking at her with his hands up defensively. He looked terrified. Terrified? Elena took a step back unsure of what was happening. Why was Stefan so frightened?

"Elena it's ok. Just breathe for me." He whispered as though he was soothing a small child. She did as he instructed and full her fangs back in. She never took her eyes from his face as he continued to step towards her carefully. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to be in his arms.

"Stefan." She almost cried as she ran to his embrace. He held her tight and stroked her back, trying to calm her. Only when she pulled back from him did she see the blood that covered him. She stared at it in confusion. It wasn't his blood on his clothing. He seemed to understand her confusion as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to clean her face with it. She stared shocked at the amount of blood on the tissue and she touched her face and looked down at her clothes. She was covered in blood! It was even on her forehead, she must have looked terrifying! Suddenly the pieces of her memory all started to fall into place as she remembered what she had just done. The dark haired stranger…

She whipped around to look for the body, to see if she had killed him in her rage and instead her eyes fell upon the crumpled unconscious body of Damon, lying broken and bleeding a few feet away. She screamed and tried to go to him but Stefan held her tight by the arms. She turned back to him confused and desperate but Stefan held her gaze with confidence.

"Stefan, let me go! What are you doing? He's hurt!" She screamed at him fighting to get away, but Stefan held her as he looked over to Damon.

"Caroline?" Stefan called over behind Elena with authority and Elena glanced back to see a very teary and uncomfortable Caroline emerge and crouch down to Damon's body. She couldn't even look Elena in the face, she was so upset. "Get him home. I will be there soon." Stefan commanded. Elena watched helplessly as Caroline picked Damon up and disappeared in a black flash of movement.

Elena let out a breath as she felt her head turn fuzzy. No sooner did she realise than she had collapsed to her knees and vomited violently. Her own thoughts came at her like razor blades, splitting open her heart…What have I done? Did I kill that man? Damon! What did I do to Damon? He will never forgive me! I'm a monster! I don't deserve to live! Her thoughts repeated over and over and she thought that perhaps she would pass out from the whirlwind, unfortunately they continued like her consciousness. She began to cry violently, uncontrollably. She wanted to claw her own eyes out to stop seeing the image of Damon's face as she beat him senseless. As she kicked him and broke his bones while he just stared at her unflinching. She began pulling at her daylight ring, desperate to end this suffering, this torment in her mind when strong fingers clamped down on her hands restraining her.

"Elena, Elena stop this, this isn't helping!" Stefan sounded angry, furious in fact and it snapped her out of her agony as she opened her eyes to look at him. He was angry, his face was red with it and his mouth had become a straight line. She stopped resisting him and went limp, falling into his chest as she did so. How much more pain could she possible put him through until she killed him? She had practically killed Damon too. What kind of monster did that to the two men she loved? She doubted even Katherine had hurt them this much.

She wanted to die.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Everything was in chaos.

Caroline poured herself the biggest measure of bourbon she had ever seen and began to gulp it down. She hated the taste of it, but right now she understood the compulsion to drink away thoughts of reality. If she had discovered alcohol when she was younger and it's abilities to help block out painful moments for periods of time, she would definitely have ended up hanging with the troubled kids at the back of the gym building every day. She had never understood why they thought it was ok to drink alcohol right under their teachers' noses. She hadn't had any time for them, sweeping them aside like common drug addicts and losers, but now…now she got their reasons, she understood their drive to numb the pain.

She desperately wanted to stop the tears flowing but she had been trying to straighten herself out for a few hours now and she still couldn't hold them back. She felt so ashamed that she had let Elena out by herself. She felt stupid for believing that Elena was ready and she felt even more furious at herself for not contemplating why Elena would want to go herself. Elena might have convinced herself that she wanted to feed on her own because she was ready but Caroline should have known that the anger and hurt she was feeling would take over. Now Elena had almost killed someone and she had torn Damon up pretty badly. Damon had done a lot of terrible things and he still frightened her, but when she saw his beaten body in the woods, she had cried for him. No one, not even Damon deserved to be hurt like that. Had he been human he would have been death at the first assault. The worst thing about it all was that she had heard the whole thing happen as she ran into the woods looking for them.

Caroline shook her head as a small sob left her again and she gulped a huge mouthful of bourbon again. She had heard Elena demand that he fight back and he hadn't. Judging by the state his body had been in, he hadn't even tried to restrain her. He had just let her almost kill him. Until that moment Caroline still had reservations on Damon's intentions with Elena. He always seemed so selfish and inconsiderate of her feelings. This new information had blown Caroline's mind and she didn't know what to feel anymore. She was so glad that she and Stefan had coordinated just in case Elena had needed them. Stefan had brought Elena home, vervained beyond belief and put her in the cellar. Caroline had wanted to question whether the cellar was appropriate but she didn't argue when Stefan simply shot her a look of fierce certainty. She had almost taken a step back in fear at his expression. Now Elena was locked in the dungeon for all intents and purposes and Damon was still recovering in his room. She had laid him on his bed, taking care not to increase his injuries any further. She had waited for Stefan to get home before trying to re-set Damon's bones as she didn't know how – anatomy class hadn't been her strong point. Stefan had inspected Damon and told her to leave the room and hold the door. She had been frightened by that indication and sat behind the door in the hall with her hands over her ears as she tried to drown out the screams from the room. They seemed to last for hours before finally the door opened and she fell back into Stefan's legs.

Stefan helped her up and they shared a look of pain and sadness they had never done before. Stefan nodded to her and she gave him the blood bags he had sent her for. She lingered by the door nervously as Stefan moved to the side of Damon's bed and lowered the bags down beside him. He opened one and held it to Damon's chalk white lips. Damon looked like a corpse but at least his screams verified that he was in fact still alive. Stefan was holding Damon's head to the bag so delicately, lovingly that she suddenly felt like an intruder to this moment between them and so she had closed the door and came down stairs for a large drink.

She finished the glass with a deep exhale. She could hear Stefan descending the stairs and make his way to her exhausted. He sat down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her knee.

"It wasn't your fault Care." He said gently, sensing her distress. She gave a quick laugh in disbelief. He turned to look at her for a moment before turning back to stare ahead. She could see that he was drained from all of the events.

"It was mine." He said confidently. Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed again.

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have let her go off without someone to watch over her Stefan." Caroline said full of loathing for her inaction.

"You didn't Care. You called me and then we both went along to look out for her. You're a good friend."

"Not good enough it seems." Caroline murmured to herself.

"You couldn't have known." Stefan said squeezing her knee.

"I should have Stefan. Don't try and make me feel better about it. I've known her my whole life and I should have known she was unstable." They both sat in silence for a moment. "And now Damon is…" she ventured.

"Damon will be fine." Stefan stated, unwillingly to discuss Damon's condition any further it seemed. "He knew what he was getting himself into."

"Why didn't he stop her Stefan? I don't understand why he let her do that to him." Another tear fell down her face. She knew exactly why he let her but she still couldn't fully contemplate its meaning. Stefan sighed a long tired sigh and sat forward putting his elbows on his knees and cradling his head in his hands.

"Because he loves her." He said. Caroline nodded in agreement. "And she loves him."

"Yeah, I think she does." Caroline bit her lip, unsure of how Stefan was dealing with this fact. Stefan pulled back and sat back into the sofa. He was gazing at the ceiling in thought. Caroline copied his movements.

"What's going to happen?" Caroline asked sincerely, aware that Elena was coming around in the cellar.

"We have to let them figure that out." He said calmly.

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The throb in Elena's head brought her back to consciousness. She felt like she had the worst hangover in the universe. She groaned holding her head and sitting up. It was too bright, her eyes pinched closed as she tried to figure out where she was. It was cold and damp and she was sitting on concrete. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light and realised she was in the cellar. How did she get here? She tried to call for Stefan but her throat was like sand paper. She coughed trying to clear it and leant against the wall for support as she stood up. The room tilted slightly so she kept her hand on the wall to steady her. Everything was a muddle. She tried to recall the last memory she had. Stefan had vervained her! Why had he done that? She had had no idea just how unpleasant it was. It kind of made her feel bad for all of the times she had inflicted it on others, especially Damon.

Damon.

Every kick, bite and attack she had made on him suddenly flushed back into her mind with such ferocity that she stumbled into the wall that had been supporting her weight. Suddenly there was no air in the entire world enough to fill her lungs. She screamed as loud as her lungs would allow.

"Stefan!"

In a flash both Stefan and Caroline were at the door, looking in through the bars, as Elena rushed and battered into the door.

"Stefan, Damon is he…" She spluttered trying to bring herself down from having a nervous breakdown. She must have looked like a wild animal.

Caroline stepped forward trying to calm her but still not unlocking the door. "Elena you have to calm down, calm down!"

"Where is he?" Elena looked frantically from one face to the other looking for answers.

"He's ok, Elena, he's ok." Caroline shushed her, which seemed to work. Elena was starting to get a hold of herself. Damon was ok, thank god!

"He's resting Elena, so you have to chill and stop shouting or you'll wake him." Stefan's word held authority without anger and she blinked a few times as she returned her breathing to normal. She didn't want to wake Damon if he was healing. God, what had she done to him? She took a few deep breaths as tears started to fall.

"Is he badly hurt?" She whispered looking down at her hands in shame. She didn't want to look at them for fear their eyes would reflect back their disgust at what a monster she had become. Stefan huffed lightly and she looked up them. She had to know.

Caroline and Stefan were looking at each other as though trying to decide what they should tell her. She placed her hands on the bars of the window, awaiting their response. Caroline couldn't lie, she was always honest with her so she directed her intent gaze in Caroline's direction. Caroline blushed under the intensity of Elena's attention and cleared her throat.

"He's pretty messed up. It was a close call I think." Caroline admitted, Stefan shot her a look of warning and she shrugged at him. "She should know the truth." Stefan turned his head to look away from both of them, to give them some semblance of privacy.

"I nearly killed him." Elena stated blankly. She could feel the urge to hide away this pain again. She wanted to feel numb.

"You didn't though. He's strong, he will heal. It's going to be ok." Caroline comforted and placed her hands over Elena's' on the bars. The physical contact stirred Elena's' heart once more and she cried silently as she clung to her friends hands through the bars. Caroline started crying too. After a few moments Elena realised that Stefan was still there, leaning back against the wall. He had tears in his eyes.

"Stefan I'm so sorry." Elena cried. "I can't believe the person I've become. I never wanted to hurt anyone especially you. And Damon…he's your brother, I'm so sorry." Stefan nodded as tears fell down his cheeks too.

"This wasn't all your fault Elena. You're still trying to understand your new nature and I didn't help with matters." He paused as he dried his eyes and tried to stand up straight again. "I was so angry with both of you, I've made his life hell since we broke up."

"What do you mean?" She sniffled. He came closer to the bars as Caroline released her hold on Elena and stepped back to allow them to have some space. Caroline looked up at the ceiling as she heard Damon stir. She should go check on him. Elena and Stefan were having an intense moment so she thought they wouldn't notice as she snuck away to temper the beast upstairs.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Caroline stood outside Damon's room, nervous and fidgety. She wasn't sure what kind of mood he was going to be in and when Damon didn't want company he _let _you know. The residual fear she had of him fluttered in her stomach as she made the decision to enter his room. She pushed open the door and peaked inside. He was still in bed.

"Damon?" She whispered, now unsure of whether he had simply been moving around in his sleep.

"What is it Caroline?" He mumbled, evidently awake. He didn't move as she approached him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" She asked gently, reaching out to touch him, but quickly changing her mind in the process. He still looked weak and vulnerable, very un-Damon like.

"Fine." He said without any tone in his voice.

"Do you need some more blood? I can get some for you." She offered, again having to stop herself from patting him gently on the hip. It was so natural for her to comfort her friends when they were hurting. Strange to feel like he was actually part of that group now. He had always been a necessary evil add on to the group that she had tolerated because he would do anything to protect Elena. Now she saw him differently.

"Why are you still here Barbie?" He whined sarcastically trying to squirm away from her when he froze in pain. She couldn't help herself this time and she cooed at him, rubbing her back as he relaxed back into the position he had been in previously. Obviously he was too weak to fight her as he let her stroke him.

"Because you need somebody and because…I'm your friend Damon." She didn't care how he responded anymore. She wanted him to know that she meant it. Slowly Damon turned over onto his back to look at her. She could tell that it took a lot out of him to do so. He had bruises on his neck where Elena had partially torn his larynx out. Thank god for fast healing! His eyes were as wide as saucers and black with thirst as he stared at her incredulously.

"Since when?" He asked his eyes boring into hers like a drill. God he had such an intense stare it ruffled her feathers a little.

"Since I saw you let my best friend almost kill you today without trying to stop her." He gave out a small laugh.

"Well, that's me off the bat isn't it? I always have a death wish." She took the opportunity to take one of his hands in hers and he watched her with curiosity as she held it between both of her hands.

"You really do love her. So much that you let her do this to you. You would've let her tear you apart if it made her feel better." He didn't respond to her statement. He just stared at her as though he was too exhausted to muster up a denial. He closed his eyes and she sighed inwardly squeezing his hand. His black eyelashes fluttered and she realised that he had fallen asleep. She had never realised how long those eyelashes were. It was strange to remember the intimate moments that she and Damon had shared when she was his human blood bag. He had looked wild and exotic when she had stared up at him during sex, but she hadn't noticed the tiny details – his long sweeping lashes, the tiny wrinkle lines at the side of his mouth, the curve of his bottom lip. He didn't look exotic now, he looked angelic. She shook her head laughing at herself. He was a looker one way or the other and truth be told, even when she had hated him for what he had done to her, she could still get a little hot and bothered around him when he flirted, wanting her to do something for him. It seemed inappropriate to still feel flushed looking at his features when he was so ill and in love with her best friend. That was the power of Damon she guessed. He groaned in pain in his sleep and she stroked his forehead gently trying to soothe him. She placed a fresh blood bag down beside his other hand, ready for him when he awoke.

"Elena?" He whispered, but she could see from his eye movement that he was still asleep. Her heart squeezed and she smiled at him. She'd been so wrong about him. She was going to make it up to him by making sure that he and Elena had a chance to work things out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

They had both cried and opened the floodgates of their emotions. It had hurt to let all that emotion in but Stefan had held her and soothed her. She wanted so badly to turn it off but he had calmed her and helped her to see how important it was to let herself hurt for a while. Stefan had stayed with her all night in the cellar. She hadn't wanted to leave for fear that she might hurt someone again and so he had come in and stayed with her to help her through the night. She lay in his arms as they both stared at the ceiling. He had been teaching her some meditation techniques and they were really helping. Caroline had popped in to let Elena know that Damon was healing, he was just sleeping now and his injuries had healed. Elena didn't know how she could ever thank both of them enough for being there. If she had killed Damon she would never had been able to go on. It was strange that she felt like she could tell Stefan that. He had listened and empathised, even though she knew how much he still loved her. They hadn't talked like this since before Klaus and it meant so much to her.

Stefan had given his blessing for her and Damon to be together. He couldn't watch both of them tear each other apart with longing and anger. He had watched that happen between him and Damon over Katherine and he didn't want to be the cause of that. The more Elena had confided about how she felt and what she had been going through the more he was convinced that he should stay and be there for her, even if it was just as a friend. She needed to have someone she could talk to like this and he was as yet unsure of Damon's abilities to deal with such intense emotion. Damon had been denying powerful emotions for a long time and he might need Stefan's counsel too. When he became aware of Elena's breathing changing he carefully separated himself from her and quietly left the cellar room. He didn't bother locking it, hoping that she would make the decision herself to come out and face whatever happened next. Caroline was waiting upstairs by the fire.

"How is he?" Stefan asked as he approached and sat next to her again. Strange that it felt like they had become parents over the past day and night. She smiled up at him as he lowered himself down.

"He looks a lot better, all the bruising is gone now. I just checked on him."

"Thank you Caroline. For everything you've done." He smiled at her. She raised her eyebrows and an expression came across his face that looked mischievious. He giggled in response and confusion. "What?"

"I'm not done yet." She stated proudly.

"What?" He leaned in towards her. She grinned.

"We need to fix them Stefan. As long as you are ok with that?" She added the last sentence on suddenly looking a little unsure.

"What are you thinking?" He teased smiling.

"You know Damon. When he's back to normal he's going to be a douche-bag again and he is going to try and push her away, that's just how his safety bubble works…" she waited for him to but in and correct her, but he remained silent listening to her "When she wakes up, she's still going to feel sorry for herself and repentant. She's not going to trust herself with him, so I think she will try and avoid him too." Stefan nodded. "Then we will be back to square one again. We need to give them a push. They need to get past this and I think we are the only ones that can help them."

"Ironic isn't it?" Stefan laughed. "I have to force my brother to allow himself to love _my_ girlfriend." Caroline tilted her head sadly at him and he smiled again. After a moment of silence from Caroline, he sighed. "Ok, what's the plan?"


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Elena giggled as she felt his arms carry her up to her room. She had always loved it when she could intentionally fall asleep on the sofa and effectively force her dad to carry her to her bed. She had even faked it a few times just so she could snuggle into him as he ascended the stairs and tucked her in. Her dad made her feel so safe and protected when he held her like this. She missed that feeling. She missed being small enough for him to carry her anymore. She missed him. Ever since he had died…

Elena opened her eyes. It had been a dream. A wonderful dream about her dad being here with her. The room was dark as she tried to focus. She normally didn't close her curtains as she liked to wake up with the sun rise. Stefan must have closed them for her. Then she remembered last night and where she should have been. She sat up slowly looking around when she realised that she wasn't alone. Next to her on the large bed was Damon. She stared at him confused as to how she had gotten here. This was Damon's room. He didn't stir as she touched his shoulder, trying to see if any of her vicious bite marks were still present. She gulped in anticipation as he sleepily lifted his head enough under her touch that she could inspect his throat. His breathing was pretty deep and steady so she knew he was in deep sleep. His neck was clear of any evidence. She let out a slow grateful breath as she looked at his face again. He might not have visible scars but he still looked like he had been through the wars to her. Normally he was such a light sleeper he would have been aware of her in a heartbeat, but here he was vulnerable and unaware. She studied his face for a little while. He was so peaceful and innocent looking when he slept. Sometimes during his night time visits, when he turned up in her bed to play with her bear and generally annoy her, she would wake through the night and watch him sleep next to her. She had felt guilty at first that their bed sharing had registered as being intimate to her and yet she hadn't made him leave despite this. Now she was glad they had shared those moments, as innocent as they were.

She stroked her fingers along his jaw line and again he moved his head to give her access – just like a cat enjoying some petting. He moaned softly and she felt such a sharp pang of love and remorse at the same time she had to clutch her heart with one hand to steady herself. She wanted to touch him, to caress him and make up for all the pain she had caused him physically. She wanted to kiss every wound she had given him and make everything disappear as though it had never happened. She wanted to hold him and love him and whisper to him all the feelings of love she had. She wanted to heal all of his wounds, past and present and make him feel loved and cherished. He was already so damaged when she met him and she wanted so badly to be able to pacify him. On the outside he looked healed but she knew that his injuries were still there. What she had done hadn't been erased because his skin was clear. Despite her desire to love and protect him, as a crazy, unstable vampire she had trashed all of that. She had torn him up, emotionally and physically. She had done so much more damage than anyone else had ever done to him. Some Florence Nightingale she was!

She leant down slowly and carefully and kissed his neck where she had bitten him. It felt so exciting to be able to do this to him when he was unawares. She pondered on the thought that it was a bit creepy to feel excited by that, but Damon's shields were up so often, he was rarely as vulnerable as he was now. If the situation had been different, she would have loved to have woken him up by kissing his body and touching him lovingly, but if she woke him up now he would be mad. She knew that when he woke, she was going to have to face the music and it made her tremble.

She carefully slid out of the bed, taking care to tuck the covers around him. The last thing she wanted was to wake him. She had no idea what she was going to say to him, how he was going react after everything she had done to him. She wasn't ready to deal with this yet. She had to get out of here.

She looked around the room for her clothes as she noticed that she was wearing a t-shirt of Damon's and a pair of shorts she usually kept in Stefan's room. This little plot stunk of Caroline. She shook her head in amazement that Stefan would let her be carried and put in here with the guy she had mauled the life out of yesterday, as if he was just going to wake up and forgive her. She had to get out of here before he woke up and plan what she was going to do. She turned to look back at Damon to make sure he was still asleep before she reached for the door handle to exit the room. She twisted to no avail. She frowned looking at the door as she tried the handle again. She had a frantic urge to rattle the handle, but she knew for certain that would wake Damon up. She tried the handle again holding her breath as she did so, but it wouldn't budge. She cursed Caroline and Stefan under her breath. They had locked her in here! She would kill them next time she saw them both. She stood staring at the door for several minutes trying to think of an escape route, other than pulling the door from its hinges and making a run for it. She remembered that there were glass doors to the balcony and she quietly tiptoed over and moved the curtains aside. She stifled a gasp as she observed the metal sheeting that had been placed over the doors. She couldn't believe they had gone to such lengths to seal them in this room! Her heart beat increased as she realised the gravity of the situation she was in. Behind her, Damon stirred. She closed her eyes and held her breath, praying that he was just changing position. She was too scared to turn around and look.

"Elena?" His voice was so quiet and scratchy. Her stomach plummeted unhappily as she realised that this was happening. It was happening now and there was nowhere to run. She turned around slowly to face him. He pushed himself into a sitting position as he stared at her. As the covers fell down to his lap she realised that they had changed his clothes too. She found her eyes focus in on his bare chest.

"Why are you still here?" He asked quietly. He didn't have an angry tone but the very question he posed made her feel like he had slapped her. She wasn't sure how to explain how she had ended up here. It might just make him mad if she told him that she would never have been here if it hadn't been for the scheming Miss Forbes. She started to approach him and stopped as he visually flinched. Surely he wasn't scared of her? She frowned and he eyed her suspiciously. She took another step towards him and he backed up a little on his pillow. There was no mistaking that movement. He didn't trust her. He didn't want her to touch him. She tried to swallow down the bile that threatened to choke her insides.

"Get out of here Elena." He said, still in the same quiet voice he had been using. "I don't want you here." He added. When she didn't move, he shot her a look of revulsion that rippled through her like disturbed water. His gaze was always penetrating, which was one of his most seductive qualities but when he used it against you negatively there was no escape from its severity.

"Damon, I'm sorry…" she began but he snorted and looked at her angrily now. She took a step back ashamed. Sorry wasn't going to be enough. She had almost killed him.

"So am I." He spat.

"I don't know what happened out there, I was feeding and then…"

"Then you thought you'd sprinkle the forest with my body parts." He concluded for her. She could feel the tears welling at his harshness, his hatred. She had to try and explain, she couldn't stand the thought that he could hate her.

"Please Damon, it was the blood, I was so angry and then you were there and I just lost control!" She stepped towards him again with her arm outstretched. She wanted so badly to touch him, to know that he was ok. He leapt out of the other side of the bed in a flash and placed himself across the room from her.

"Don't touch me Elena. I'm warning you." He growled. "I'm trying very hard not to hurt you right now and if you come closer I might not be able to control myself!" He warned. She began to sob, averting her eyes from him. He had never looked at her like that before. He had threatened her before but the look in his eyes was poison. "Leave." He commanded. He still didn't understand what was going on here.

"I can't." She sobbed looking past him towards the door. He growled loudly and before she knew it he had thrown a large lamp against the wall behind her. She screamed jumping out of the way. She looked at him fearfully. "Get out!" He screamed at her. She would have to pass by him to get to the door and she was scared of his proximity. He growled again and his teeth popped out. She had better try that door regardless. He moved along the wall away from her as she dashed for the door again trying to wrench it open with all of her strength but it wouldn't budge. She leant her head against the door as she cried. She could hear that he was still panting in anger. She didn't know what he was capable of right now.

"Stefan!" Damon spat, finally understanding that they had been trapped in here together. "Stefan open this door NOW!" Damon roared. Elena pressed herself so close to the door in fear that she willed herself to become part of it. Damon was silent waiting for a response but all she could hear was her heart beat in her ears. They stood where they were for at least 5 minutes, neither moving nor speaking. She heard him sit down on the end of the bed and she relaxed a little but was still afraid to move or turn around. She wanted to speak, to say something, anything to break the tension but she was scared of what he would do if she did. He made a very small sound of pain, almost undetectable to her hearing, but she picked up it. He was still healing after all and his exertion must have hurt him. She slowly turned around to glance at him. His eyes were closed as he held one hand to his ribs. She remembered kicking him there repeatedly, breaking bones. She shivered at the memory of it and the thought of how much it must hurt. He opened his eyes and looked at her, removing his hand as quickly as he could to fake normalcy. He didn't look good. He was paler now than when she had woken up. Her expression must have given her away as she tried to hold back tears of self loathing because his expression became blank. He was trying not to let the fact that she was in pain effect him like it usually did. He had never been able to take it when she cried or was in pain. He had loved her so much, it pained him to see her suffer…at one time.

"You need more blood." She whispered, feeling hoarse from screaming. He continued his blank look. This new expression had the goose bumps rising on her whole body. She didn't like it. The longer it was on his face the more desperate she became to change it. Even if it was to an expression of anger, she would prefer that but the way he was looking at her now was so…empty and uncaring. She could take any emotion from him right now but this, this…indifference was unbearable. She backed away towards the door and called out to Stefan for more blood. Hoping with all of her might that Stefan would be reasonable about this and open the door. She was sure she could get away while Stefan brought more blood bags in. She looked back towards Damon and noticed that he had a frightening smile on his face. Her blood turned cold. He wasn't even blinking now. He truly looked like a demon from some old horror movie.

"I could just take yours." He said quietly, controlled and precise. She realised his intentions before he was on top of her and she screamed as she hit the ground. Her sunk his fangs in deeper than she had ever experienced before and drank without any care for her. He put his hand over her mouth as she screamed in pain. He didn't stop though and as he swallowed again and again she felt herself weaken and close her eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, she thought as she lost consciousness in his rough, heartless embrace.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Elena awoke to the sound of snoring and soft breathing caressing her neck. Her head was spinning as she tried to sit up and then she realised that Damon was on top of her. She remembered his bite and she lightly touched her neck to review the damage. Her neck had healed but was sticky from residual blood. How was she still alive? She had thought for sure that he had taken enough to completely drain her. He should have just finished it. She had put him through enough, he was within his rights to end her. She wondered how long they had been out of it, but with the outside world closed off to them she couldn't tell what time it was. Evidently Stefan and Caroline hadn't come with more blood bags because surely they would have helped her. Then again, maybe they thought she deserved this from Damon. It was her penance.

Damon's body was so warm on hers, she had never been this close to him before without clothing. She placed her arm around him, holding him to her gently. His head was resting on her chest as though after feeding he had just slumped there. She could feel his lips brush her breast every time he breathed. Strange to think how much she had yearned for this closeness only a few days ago, under very different circumstances. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine that they were lying like this because they had just made love. Imagination might be her only friend now that he hated her. Then again, he hadn't killed her. Should she dare to hope it was because he still felt something, or might it just be because he was clearly exhausted and had fallen asleep through the frenzy of feeding? For the moment she elected to pretend it was because he still felt love for her and she began to stroke the skin of his back tenderly, feeling all of his muscle there. She had always wondered what it would be like to touch him like this. He always paraded around comfortable in his nakedness or semi-nakedness, confident that every woman within a hundred miles wanted him. It hadn't escaped her notice that he had an amazing body. She felt him shiver slightly as she traced his back with her fingers, so she ran her hand up to his hair and stroked through it. He seemed to enjoy that as he snuggled his head deeper into towards her arm where he could breathe in her scent deeply. He was coming around now. She slowly removed her arms from him as he took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her skin. Sooner or later he would realise what had happened here, if only he could sleep forever and she could just hold him like this and pretend everything was ok.

She closed her eyes in fear of her imaginary post sex scenario breaking. He lifted his head fully awake and she knew he was looking at her face. She didn't want to open her eyes, but he wasn't moving. His proximity was excruciating.

"Just finish it off. You have every right." She whispered and tensed herself in preparation for another bite. He tensed up and growled again. She held her breath, ready. He snorted cruelly and got up leaving her on the floor. She opened her eyes in surprise and watched as he moved to grab a shirt to put on.

"You'd love that wouldn't you?" He commented, still sounding angry as he turned his back to her and started to dress. "It'd be great just to give yourself to me, cop out and not have to face me anymore. Well…" he turned to face her buttoning up his shirt in front of her "I'm not going to make it that easy for you." He smirked cruelly. She sat up perplexed at his response. She felt overwhelmed by anger. She was trying to make things right and how could she ever do that if he wouldn't let her?

"Isn't that what you were trying to do in the woods?" She shot back at him, stopping him in his tracks as he zipped up his jeans. He looked at her quizzically, so she continued "You knew I wanted to hurt you and you never stopped me! I couldn't control myself but _you_ could have stopped me!" She was shouting now, unsure of where her new found anger had come from but she felt like she was on a roll so she decided to continue further. "I wouldn't have even been in that state if you hadn't rejected me, if you hadn't left me for a whole day not knowing what the hell you were thinking, what everything meant…"

"You're blaming me for this?!" He shouted back incredulously. "How do _I_ get the blame for you nearly ripping my head off?"

"I needed you and you left me! You promised you would never leave me!" She stood up shakily shouting at him. They stared at each other in shock and dismay. You could have heard a penny drop.

"What choice did I have?" He said calmly trying to make his expression blank again but failing miserably "He's my brother Elena. I couldn't just jump into bed with you before the sheets were even cold." Elena gasped in disgust and he smiled in triumph.

"That's not what I expected from you. I still love Stefan, I would never want to hurt him like that."

"Not unless it meant getting what you want, ay?" He chirped in, trying to aggravate her.

"And what's that exactly? You?" she laughed looking him up and down. His smile turned cold as she did so. "I'm not so sure anymore." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Of course not. I'm not a puppet you can play with to your heart's content." He snarled and she couldn't help her jaw dropping to the floor in pain at his words. She couldn't look at him anymore. She turned her back to him and marched towards the door trying to open it again. It was still locked. She turned to face him and caught a brief look of remorse on his face.

"Stefan was never a puppet and neither were you." She sighed and looked down at the floor, starting to feel the blood deprivation now. She felt tired and done in. Caroline and Stefan's plan wasn't going to help matters. How long did they think they could keep them in here together? They would have to let them out eventually. She looked up at Damon again in defeat.

"I am in love with you Damon." She sighed, sitting down on the floor with her back to the door. There, she had said it and it didn't matter what happened now. She had to get it out so they could both move on. Damons' eyes softened slightly and he mimicked her movements, sitting down with his back to the opposing wall.

"I hate myself for what I did to you, what I did to both of you. I just wanted you so much I lost it." She huffed, trying not to cry again. She didn't expect anything from him now, but she wanted him to listen to what she had to say. He finally seemed to be willing. "I wanted to know if there was a chance that we could be together. You've never held back from me before. I guess I hoped you wouldn't now."

"I don't know what you want from me Elena." He grumbled. "You've kissed me and still turned back to him. Do you really expect me to be able to trust that this isn't temporary?" He was speaking earnestly now for a change.

"I know and I'm sorry, but this isn't temporary Damon. The time we have spent together lately, the way that you have been with me, surely you know that what I'm feeling is real?"

"I want to." He said sadly. Finally her Damon was back in the room with her. His eyes had returned to the beautiful ocean blue she cherished, rather than the black pits of anger they had been.

"Stefan saved both of us last night." She commented. He looked up at her in question. "He saved you from me and he saved me from myself." He raised his eyebrows at her in confusion. "When I realised what I'd done to you, I tried to destroy my ring." She looked down at the ring on her hand in shame. He got up and walked towards her, stopping in front of her and offering her his hand. She looked up at him soberly and took his hand as he pulled her to her feet. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she looked into his eyes. He looked right back into hers and held her gaze. His eyes were so blue, she felt like they had their own magic. He brought his hand up to cradle her cheek gently.

"I forgive you." He whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers gently. His lips brushed against hers softly at first and then she felt herself pull him nearer to get more pressure. They had kissed before but never on equal ground. She had always had Stefan to consider, but now that things between her and Stefan had been brought out into the open and discussed, she felt like she could really kiss Damon now. She held him close and opened her mouth to him as she let her head fall back slightly. He was a great kisser and had her toes curling already. He knew just the right amount of pressure to place on her lips and how to excite her with his tongue. She felt herself fold into his embrace as his arms tightened around her. She started to feel her temperature increasing with every touch of his tongue, every stroke of his fingertips at the nape of her neck and yet she shivered. She began to notice how close his hips were to hers and she tried to pull him forward against her. He reluctantly kept some space between them though and she sighed in frustration. He slowed their kiss and put a little space in between them again before he pulled away from her. She looked up into his eyes dazed and slightly confused by his behaviour. He looked at her hungrily but with regret.

"Stefan." He said gently and she understood his restraint. She put her arms around his neck to stop him from moving too far from her grasp.

"It's ok. Stefan and I talked all night while you were sleeping. He understands how we both feel. He wants us to be together." She soothed, looking up at him lovingly. Damon still looked unsure. "Why else do you think he locked us in here?" She added logically. Damon thought about it for a moment before he realised she was right. He smiled slightly astonished at the turn of events. Stefan wanted them to try this. He looked down at her face again, searching her eyes for permission before he lifted her off her feet and carried her to his bed. She yelped in surprise and laughed as he placed her onto the bed and jumped on top of her.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Elena couldn't help the school girl blush that crept onto her cheeks as she stared up at him hovering above her. This was finally going to happen. She felt out of breath already as she waited in anticipation for him to move. She remembered Bree's review of Damon's carnal abilities and her stomach began to twist at the thought of what he could do to her body. He seemed to know what she was thinking and he smiled down at her seductively, lowering his mouth down towards hers and holding himself just beyond the reach of her lips. She tried to lean up to capture his mouth but he pulled back as he did so, leaving just a little space between their mouths. He could see the pleading look in her eyes and he relished in it. He slowly tipped his mouth to the side of her jaw and lowered his head further until he could graze her neck with the tip of his nose. It was a strange sensation and she felt a shiver roll down her back as he continued to stroke across her collarbone. He stopped at her breast bone and placed a kiss right above her left breast. She let out a breath she'd been holding and he hummed in response. As he hummed the vibration from his mouth travelled across her skin and made her shudder. She put her hands in his hair and stroked her fingers through, making him shiver. She smiled in triumph that she could push his buttons too.

He started leaving small wet kisses down her neck, stopping at her jugular and nipping there. She leaned her neck towards him, desperate for him to bite there but he chuckled and moved back to face her again. His pupils were huge now, he wanted her bad. She tilted her pelvis up towards him, encouraging him, but he didn't seem as affected as she was. He cocked his head to the side and stroked his thumb down the side of her face.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered and she felt her heart explode. She had expected being with him to be wonderful, passionate and energetic certainly, but she hadn't really expected this kind of gentleness. She had known he was capable of it, but he rarely allowed himself to be so exposed. She held his face in her hands and smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed her fully this time, no teasing. He knew he was good in bed and had intended to demonstrate just how good, but all of that fell away as he kissed her knowing that she was giving herself to him completely. He felt himself being rolled over onto his back as she caressed him lovingly. For the first time since Katherine, he actually relaxed into it. He had had a lot of sexual partners but he'd only ever made love to one – Katherine. He had thought he loved her and he had given himself completely to her. He'd never wanted to make that same mistake again, but Elena's touch was so full of love, he melted beneath her.

She unbuttoned his shirt delicately and smoothed him out of it. He pulled his arms out of the sleeves and dumped it on the floor. He lay back down and watched her with a smile as she ran her hands over his chest, feeling every contour and muscle with delight. She caught him watching and blushed.

"I've always wanted to touch your chest." She admitted shyly and he beamed at her.

"I've had similar thoughts about yours." He winked and she slapped him on the chest playfully. She leaned down and placed a trail of kisses down the front of his chest, stopping at the waistband of his jeans. She felt nervous and shy suddenly. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. Her only sexual experience was with Stefan and he had had to teach her what to do. She hoped she wasn't going to disappoint Damon. She began to unbutton his trousers, aware that he was still watching her, but she couldn't quite pop the last one. She struggled for a minute not wanting to rip his good jeans when he placed his hand over hers and did it for her. She looked up at him thankfully and slightly embarrassed. He gave her one of his smouldering looks and she forgot herself for a moment. Before she knew it he had flipped her onto her back and had kicked his jeans off onto the floor. She gasped as he kissed her passionately and ran his hands up the inside of her t-shirt, taking it off over her head. He stopped to look at it as he pulled it off, realising that it was his. He blinked for a moment and laughed as she shrugged at him. Caroline had obviously dressed her to get his attention. Elena squirmed out of her shorts and pushed them to the bottom of the bed with her feet. She became glaringly aware that the only clothing she had left on was her underpants which were thankfully still hers. She hadn't realised that her bra was missing in action until she felt Damons' tongue circle her right nipple which sent a jolt of electricity through her. She gasped and held him closer to her. They were both barely concealed by their underwear and the feel of his hardness against her hip bone was driving her wild. She writhed underneath his mouth as he attended to her other nipple, while he stroked up her sides. She was particularly sensitive there and she couldn't help but cry out as his graceful fingers combed lightly across her ribs. He moved his attention downward to her abdomen, dragging his head down in one slow motion and she practically purred at the sensation of his hair tickling down her body as he moved. He gently parted her legs and lifted them into a bent position. He hooked his fingers into her panties and drew them off in one sweeping movement. She felt like she should feel embarrassed. He had never seen her naked before and she should have felt more self conscious than she did but she knew what was coming next. Stefan had been good at pleasuring her with his mouth but nothing could have prepared her for the sensations that Damon's mouth could do to her most sensitive area. He was so gentle and yet she practically fell off the bed as he worked cleverly with his tongue inside of her. She couldn't hold back her squeals and giggles as his tongue caressed her. She began to feel the impending eruption approach as her whole body became stiffer, more intense. She began to gasp and pant as she tried to pull him back up to her face, but he relented and she began to make incomprehensible noises that she should have been embarrassed by but she just couldn't give a damn right now. She looked down at him and could only see his raven locks as he lowered his mouth deeper into her. She cried out, grabbing a handful of his hair as she did so.

"Damon!" She panted as she arched her back, still trying to fight off the orgasm when it hit her like a tsunami. She collapsed into his arms as she came down from it, breathing hard and sweating. He laughed lovingly and kissed her as she tried to get her breathing back under control.

"Oh my god!" She breathed looking up at him. Instead of a snarky comment or a smirk like she had expected he just smiled at her and brought his head down to rub their noses together. She opened her legs a little wider and he fell between them. She wanted him inside her right now. While he kissed her neck she roughly pulled down his boxers. He chuckled against her skin and grinded into her. She gasped at the contact and slid her hands between them. She had never even seen his private parts before so she didn't know how big he was going to be. He was very hard when she touched him and he growled against her skin as he continued to nibble at her neck. He was larger than she had expected so she had to shuffle a little under him before she could guide him inside of her. As he slipped inside her she tensed, unprepared for his size but she took a few breaths as he continued slowly to enter her, never once hurting her intentionally. Once he was fully inside he leant up on his hands and kissed her mouth. As they continued to kiss he gently rocked in and out of her, allowing her to get used to the feeling of him. She was so slight he imagined that this wasn't as easy for her as it was with other woman he had slept with. Then he had to remind himself that she was a vampire now so he didn't have to treat her like a crystal vase anymore. He lowered his pelvis down deeper into her and she moaned at the increase in depth. He pulled his face back to look at her.

"Are you ok?" He asked. She nodded with a smile and he began to move again, this time a little quicker as he saw the colours begin to rise in her cheeks again. She felt amazing. It was though they were made to fit together. He let out a few panting moans as he felt himself start to unravel inside of her. She was holding onto him for dear life as she whispered his name. He felt so turned on by this action that he had to lean down and lay his head on the side of her neck. He wanted to hear her whisper his name again. He used his pelvis to continue thrusting as he kissed the side of her throat.

"Damon!" She whispered again and he felt himself lose his mind. He couldn't hold off any longer as his fangs popped down and he bit into her neck, sending her arching up into him. Earlier when he had drank from her he had wanted her to feel pain, but now he wanted this bite to be the most erotic experience she could imagine. He drank carefully and with tenderness as he sent feelings of love towards her. She began to hyperventilate in ecstasy as she reached her physical orgasm, but he wasn't done with her yet. Once she had ridden out the wave of her physical stimulation he sank his teeth in deeper and sent her panting and on fire again through the blood. She practically cried as she came again and just feeling her pleasure tipped his orgasm over too and he held onto her as it electrocuted him with its intensity. He pushed his face into the pillow behind her head to stop himself biting too hard as he tried not to scream. His body struggled against the hit and he actually thought he would pass out for a moment as he clung to her for dear life. He moaned and moaned into the pillow waiting for it to subside. He had never had this before, ever. It eventually started to ebb away as he relaxed his body gradually. He couldn't string two thoughts together right now. He couldn't even move! Elena was stroking his back and kissing his shoulder sweetly. He wanted to kiss her back but he really couldn't even lift his head. He tried a couple of times to come up onto his elbows but his limbs wouldn't comply. Elena began to shush him, whispering for him to sleep as she stroked comforting circles onto his back. He couldn't fight it and so he closed his eyes and let himself fall away.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

Damon opened his eyes to see Elena beside him. He felt bad for having passed out so quickly after their love making. He smiled to himself at the memory of it. He was still amazed that this was even real. He had just made the most amazing love to Elena Gilbert and he hadn't had to trick her or compel into doing so. She wanted him. He reached out and stroked her hairline, moving her strands and tucking them behind her ear. She wrinkled her nose adorably and opened her eyes. They smiled at each other like goofy teenagers.

"That was…"

"Unbelievable!" He finished the sentence for her and they both burst into laughter.

"Well, I mean you have a lot more experience than me but for me it was amazing." She said, her eyes twinkling. He shook his head in amusement.

"No, it's never been like that before." He stated, understanding what he had been missing out on by never fully engaging with his partners before. She beamed in happiness and he pulled her towards him for a kiss. She moved to him a little sluggishly, when he realised that he had fed on her twice already and she had not fed in at least two days. He touched her face concerned as he took in her pallor.

"You need to feed. We better hope we've passed the 'locked in the room until you've made up' test little bro forced on us." Elena nodded and he helped her up to retrieve their clothing. She was a little unsteady on her feet so he kept a hold on her as they dressed. Damon really hoped that Stefan had the good sense to have unlocked that door by now. How had he even managed to reinforce the door so well that they couldn't just kick right through it? It was only made of wood after all.

They approached the door and both looked at each other expectantly as he reached and turned the handle. The door clicked open and they both sighed in relief as they opened the door and exited to the hallway. The house was deadly quiet as Damon looked around, sensing something wasn't right. He smirked as he took in the sight of the metal sheeting leaning against the wall, which had evidently been propped against the door to prevent them kicking the door out. The house was deadly quiet and although this wasn't exactly unusual (considering only two people lived there), Damon couldn't shake a feeling of unease. Elena didn't seem to notice and they made their way to the lounge.

Caroline and Stefan were waiting for them as they entered. Elena felt a little uneasy under their gazes, especially considering that they both knew what had transpired in Damon's room – the good and the bad. Caroline had that smile on her face that was a veiled attempt at reassurance. Elena shot her a questioning look. She wanted to be mad at Caroline for sticking her in that room for days but then again, she was happy that it had happened because now she and Damon knew where they stood. Damon took her hand in his subtly and squeezed ever so slightly to give her some confidence. She looked up at him and he smiled.

"So I guess we passed the test, considering you've permitted us to leave our cell?" Damon turned his attention towards them, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Elena you look hungry, do you want to come eat with me? Matt is ready and waiting at the Grill for us." Caroline tried to sound chirpy and casual but Elena knew better. Her friend was hopeless at disguising when she was worried about something. Perhaps Caroline was worried for Stefan's feelings. Damon looked down at Elena with a bemused expression. It was obvious to him that Caroline was trying to get Elena alone for some girl chat, which meant that Stefan wanted to talk to him. Elena smiled at him and breathed out relaxing as she did so. It didn't matter what happened next because she had Damon now.

"Sure." Elena said as she gave Damon's hand a squeeze and looked over at Stefan. "Thank you for helping me Stefan." Stefan smiled back at her somewhat tightly and nodded. Caroline got up from the couch exchanging a look with Stefan that Elena couldn't quite place, before coming and linking arms with Elena. Elena reluctantly let go of Damon's hand. She wanted to kiss him, but then she remembered Stefan's presence and decided against it. Damon's eyes twinkled mischievously as he picked up on her body language, but she wasn't going to melt into that gaze right now. They had to be fair to Stefan.

Damon watched as the girls left in search of Matt's willing vein. He wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go, so he took his time turning back around to face Stefan.

"We need to talk." Stefan said looking at him.

"Understatement of the century brother." Damon jested, slouching down on the opposing sofa from Stefan. Stefan looked very uncomfortable as he tried to think of what to say, Damon tried to put him out of his misery. "Well, your little plot worked dear brother. Elena and I no longer want to tear each other to shreds."

"I'm glad." Stefan said, trying to sound convincing. Damon raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"How long did you cage us in there for?" Damon questioned. He really had no idea what day it was. He had been so out of it for a while, what with the near death healing and all. He seemed to recall having a rather strange conversation with Caroline at one point, where she intimated that she actually didn't want him dead anymore. He'd have to figure out if that memory was real.

"2 days." Stefan said bluntly. Damon let out a long breath. That was a long time to have been out of commission, considering they had a whole vampire hunter/ cure finding mission on their hands.

"Listen Damon, Caroline and I found something out that I really need to talk to you about."

"I'm all ears!" Damon joked, smirking. Stefan had his serious face on and Damon knew that whatever Stefan was about to tell him, he wasn't going to want to know.

"It's about Elena." Stefan paused briefly looking up at Damon before he continued, "About how she's changed since her transition." Damon kept his mouth shut and stared at Stefan blankly. He wasn't going to enjoy this one bit. Stefan swallowed nervously. "This isn't just about her having feelings for you, this is about why she can't feed on animals or blood bags…"

"It's her Doppelganger blood Stefan. It has to be." Damon shot in, feeling very uncomfortable.

"No Damon, it's more than that and deep down I think you know that. She hasn't just become an amplified version of herself, she's changed."

"She's allowed to change Stefan. People grow, they change their minds about things they want, things they do. That's more human than anything else in her so why is that such a problem for you all?"

"It's more than that and you know it!" Stefan raised his voice feeling exasperated. "Caroline was talking to Klaus and he seemed to be suggesting that the reason Elena has changed so much is because of you!" Stefan stood up and began pacing as he finished his sentence. Damon tilted his head up to the ceiling and chuckled.

"News flash – she's a vampire now, no compulsion opportunities anymore, therefore anything she does is of her own free will brother. I don't make her decisions for her, so why would her change of heart be anything to do with me. Other than her attraction to me of course." He added in wickedly. He wasn't quite sure why he was trying to get Stefan's heckles up. After all, Elena had said that Stefan had given them his blessing. What was the problem?

"Because she sired to you!" Stefan was angry now.

"What?" Damon almost laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"She became a vampire because of your blood and that is why she is acting like this."

"Ahhhh, I see now. She had to have been under some freaky sire compulsion to ever think that she could want me. That's what you're really saying isn't it? She couldn't possibly love me because she loves me right?" Damon laughed again, feeling anger brewing in his stomach. He wasn't going to let Stefan make him feel as though he could rip the rug from under him. He knew Elena loved him that was all that mattered. This was a ridiculous attempt for Stefan to convince himself that he hadn't lost her completely.

"Think about it Damon, every time you tell her to do something or think something she does. She comes around to your way of thinking. Elena never blindly did that with you before."

"That's not why you are trying to convince yourself that she is sired. You want to believe that she would still be with you and never look the path I was on if there wasn't something spooky going on. Well, you know Steph? Believe whatever you want, because it's not going to change anything between Elena and I. Not after these past 2 days." Damon got up quickly, too angry to continue this conversation but Stefan quickly moved to block his exit.

"Test it out then, if you're so confident that you are right. Tell her it's ok to feed from a blood bag."

"She'll throw up, she's tried it before." Damon leant in threateningly as he spoke.

"If she throws up then I'm wrong and you can do whatever you like. I'll even apologise." Stefan countered. Damon snorted and pushed him to the side as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"It had better be an epic Shakespearian level apology brother!" He yelled as he slammed the door behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

"Spill it Caroline. What is going on in that head of yours?" Elena demanded. Caroline had been gibbering at her for the past hour and she was getting tired of pretending she wasn't curious as to why.

"Ok, while you and Damon were _occupied, _Stefan and I think we discovered something."

"What, about the cure? About something to help Jeremy?" Elena felt her heart pick up in anticipation as she waited for Caroline to respond.

"Not exactly." Caroline squirmed a little. "About you and Damon." Caroline avoided her eyes as she spoke, clearly uncomfortable.

"What?" Elena asked confused.

"Klaus thinks that you are sired to Damon and so, that explains why you might be feeling the way you do…about your feelings for him." Elena saw red.

"What are you talking about Caroline? Is it so hard for you to understand that I might actually love him, without there being some supernatural influence?!" She was yelling and the other customers in the Grill had noticed. She didn't care a jot.

"Just hear me out Elena, Stefan and I have been talking about this…" Caroline grabbed Elena's hand trying to force her to calm down.

"I bet you have! You and Stefan make a crack team these days. What the hell were you thinking locking us in that room for days anyway?" Now she was on a roll, she needed to vent her frustrations. Why was Caroline so involved in her love life anyway?

"Elena listen!" Caroline raised her voice too, before sheepishly looking around the check how many people had stopped eating to stare at them. Matt drew her a concerned look from the bar. Elena gritted her teeth as she tried to calm herself. Caroline sighed, removing her hand from Elena's. "Think about it logically. You said that since your transition your feelings for him have become more intense, right?"

"Because everything is heightened now, not because I'm some zombified blood slave." Caroline shot a hurt and surprised look at Elena. Elena knew the comment would strike at Caroline hard. No one wanted to think of their sired hybrid boyfriend reduced to those terms.

"Heightened feelings aside, you have been leaning on him a lot lately. Every time he tells you something is ok or not ok, you believe him. You never even seem to register that maybe he might not be right." Elena huffed angrily.

"I think I love him Caroline. Tyler doesn't love Klaus does he? Or is there something you're not telling me?" Elena spat. Caroline slapped her before Elena even saw it coming. She stared at Caroline in shock. In all of their teenage disagreements and tantrums they had never slapped each other before. Elena looked up at Caroline slightly dazed. Caroline looked like a raging bull, Elena had gone too far. She took a breath and shook her head.

"You can believe whatever you want Elena, but you know something isn't natural here. If you don't believe me why don't you try and go against something _Damon_ wants for a change." Caroline grabbed her purse and stood up. "When you're ready to face this, you know where you can find me." She left leaving a restaurant of people staring after her.

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"This is ridiculous!" Damon fumed tossing some books from his desk onto the floor behind him. He sat down looking up at her vexed. His eyes were dark once more. She sat down on the end of his bed sighing.

"I think they just can't accept that I have feelings for you. They need to believe that." Why was she defending them? She was just as angry as Damon was, but somehow she knew she had to keep him calm more than she needed to erupt. Damon huffed, putting his feet up on the desk. He had no words, he felt exhausted by all of this.

"I know how I feel about you." She exclaimed. He looked over to her. "I know that I love you and that is all that matters to me." She tried to give him a smile of encouragement. He continued to say nothing and it was making her nervous. She got up and went over to him, leaning on the desk from the other side and lowering her head to his level to stare at him intensely. "You know that I love you right? You believe that." His gaze softened and she could tell he was feeling emotional. She reached out and took his face in her hands. He closed his eyes in response to her touch.

"I chose to be with you because I love you. You didn't tell me to fall for you. You didn't tell me to break up with Stefan. I chose to do those things and no one is going to convince me otherwise." She stated confidently. He opened his eyes and gave her a watery smile. She leant in the remaining distance between their faces and caught his mouth in a deep kiss. He was tentative at first but relaxed into it as she pushed him back into his chair. They kissed lovingly for a few minutes before they broke apart and leant their forehead together. They would get through this. They always did. Damon cupped her face in his hands and smiled shyly. She imagined this was how he must have looked as a human man, no pretence.

"Did you feed enough today?" He spoke softly, searching her face for any indication that she was hungry still.

"Yeah, I saw Matt earlier." She smiled back at him.

"You look like you could still use a little more blood. Maybe we could try an experiment."

"What do you have in mind?" Elena tried to raise her eyebrows seductively at him. She was learning his tricks fast!

"Why don't I heat a blood bag up for you? If it's the temperature blood is supposed to be, you will be able to drink it and keep it down, I'm sure of it." His expression was innocent as she stared at him. She slowly pulled away from him as the wheels in her head started to turn.

"You know I can't drink from a bag." She stated, eyeing him suspiciously.

"It's just the temperature Elena. You will be fine if it's warm." He tried his best to keep his expression casual and innocent but he wasn't fooling her.

"You're testing me aren't you?" She countered. He pulled an expression of surprise.

"What? No! I just want you to drink from blood bags so you don't have to have Matt involved in our lives every minute, especially when now we have a lot of fun experimenting to do." He tried to turn his charm on and smoulder at her, to draw attention away from the fact that he wasn't fooling her with this little act. Her nostrils flared and she huffed.

"Isn't my word that my feelings for you are real, enough for you? Do you really want to do this?" She was angry. She felt like she had spent the day arguing with people over her ability to know her own mind and desires and of all people she had believed that at least he knew that she knew what she was talking about. She felt a little betrayed that even he was questioning her. She increased the distance between them as he began to get up from his chair, evidently realising how much he had screwed up. He put his hands up in surrender and continued to approach her, looking concerned.

"Hey, of course your word is enough. If this stupid sire thing is real it doesn't change anything for me Elena, I love you." He took her in his arms and held her soothingly, but she didn't relax into him, she couldn't. She couldn't help but feel like he wasn't on her side either. She knew her own mind and no one was going to tell her any different, not even Damon. She broke away from his embrace and picked up her bag, leaving him confused. She put on her best fake smile and told him that she had some homework to do. She would see him tomorrow. He moved to speak to her but she was gone out of his reach and out of the boarding house, before he had the chance. Shit…


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Elena fumed all the way home. She couldn't help it. She kept trying to reason with herself. She kept trying to put herself in Damon's shoes. If the sire bond thing was real, then she had to find out more about it. Tyler blindly did whatever Klaus told him to do, even when he didn't want to do so consciously. The night of Caroline's birthday came back into Elena's mind as she recalled the story of Tyler biting Caroline without even realising he had done so. It was almost like Klaus had implanted a hypnotic suggestion and Tyler had been unable to stop himself. Her stomach rumbled in discomfort as she contemplated that kind of power. She kept trying to think back to the occasions when Caroline had said that she had changed for Damon – the red dress, telling her not to worry about Jeremy, him telling her she would be miserable if she drank anything except blood from the vein…

She sighed as she recalled all of those times, trying to analyse what went through her mind. Could it be true? She didn't want to think down those lines because if it was true then she didn't know her own mind and she couldn't think of anything more terrifying than that. She was almost home when she realised what she had to do. She had to speak to the only person who knew everything there was to know about sire bonds. She had to speak to Klaus. She grimaced at the very idea of speaking to him, she knew he would probably play with her but he was the only one who could shed enough light on this topic. She considered Tyler for a moment but she didn't want to take the chance that she might run into Caroline again. She wasn't ready to see her yet after their argument today.

She pressed her foot down on the accelerator. Better to get this conversation over as quickly as possible. The enormous manor loomed at her as she approached the gravel driveway. What if he wouldn't tell her anything? At least one thing she could count on was knowing that Rebecca was out of the picture and therefore not a threat anymore and Klaus wouldn't have her harmed – not his precious Doppelganger.

She stepped up to the front door, feeling slightly unsure of how to proceed next. No doubt he had heard her car pull up outside. She knocked on the door using the ornate brass knocker on it and waited, trying to slow her heart rate down. A random human servant opened the door, visibly compelled, judging by the glazed look in her eyes.

"Do let our guest in Samantha!" Klaus's voice came from the large sitting room inside. Elena stepped past the girl and into the sitting room. Klaus was sitting by the fire drinking wine. He got up to his feet and beamed at her as she entered.

"Ah, Elena! To what do I owe the pleasure of your surprise visit?" He grinned at her. She bit back the urge to launch something at him. He knew exactly why she was here and she hated him for it. He raised his eyebrows when she didn't immediately respond. "Ah." He smiled to himself, "I see Caroline has put all the pieces together then?" He looked up at her through hooded eyes.

"I came here to ask what you know about sire bonds." Elena stated. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of becoming emotional. She was here for information only. He nodded, still smiling at her and gestured for her to take a seat. She reluctantly sat down as she watched him fill her a glass of wine. She shook her head in dismissal of his offer.

"Come now love, you might want something to take the edge off of what I'm going to tell you." He looked down at her seriously and she shivered for a moment. She begrudgingly took the glass from him and took a sip, praying that what he was going to tell her wouldn't turn her world upside down.

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Damon lay on his bed, drumming his fingers over his chest as he thought about today's' events. He knew Elena had been upset earlier, but he didn't know what to do to fix it. Damn Stefan for putting the idea in his mind that Elena might be sired. Damon wanted so badly to believe that everything she had said she felt for him was real. He had never been anyone's choice – it was always poor, sensitive, journal writing Stefan. Now Elena had chosen him. Damon closed his eyes and turned on his side. He could still smell her scent on his sheets. Memories of their lovemaking came to his mind and he relished in them. He had wanted her to be with him again tonight, almost as a way of sealing the deal. It was feasible for him that one night with Elena could be something that might happen before she changed her mind and saw sense but two nights together would make him feel like their relationship was real. Strange how he drank up such fleeting moments with her like they were the last drops of water in a desert, when Stefan had had a virtual ocean of moments with her. Why did he still feel like he wasn't going to get enough of her? He still didn't believe this was all for real yet and now Stefan had waltzed in and made him question it all the more.

A sire bond was a peculiar thing. He had experienced one before. He daren't mention it to Elena though, she was already mad with him and everyone else. He had once made a woman a vampire and had noticed her attachment to him physically and emotionally. He was unsure of what was going on at first but when he realised, he enjoyed every second of that power. He should feel guilty but he didn't. He didn't mean for it to happen but what was the harm if the girl wanted him? He had enjoyed everything she had to give him, but after a few years, he began to realise how empty the whole thing was. She became a bit like a slave really, never questioning him or challenging him. He bored of her and left her late one night after a particularly good session of sex and never returned to her again. Truth was, he hadn't given her a single thought since then.

The possibility, even if it was remote, that Elena might be sired to him terrified him. His Elena knew her own mind, had her own opinions and she always challenged him, fought with him, made him better than he was. The thought that she might become an automaton, at his beck and call, never arguing with him… He couldn't even think about it. It would destroy him if this turned out to be true. He gripped the sheets of his bed hard against himself and breathed in her scent again. This couldn't happen to his Elena. They had to know if what was happening was real. He had to find a way to test it without her knowing.

He sat up resolutely and scooted to the end of the bed, trying to formulate a plan. If he could get Elena to do something she couldn't previously then it would prove she wasn't sired, but he would have to be delicate about it. If he could catch her off guard with it, it might work. He made quick work getting dressed and grabbed his keys as he left for her house.

The house looked dark as he drove up and parked outside, but he could see her bedroom light was on. He figured going through the window might be more advisable considering Jeremy was funny about vampires at the moment. Why give him an opportunity to get a taste for killing anymore vampires tonight? He climbed in and locked the window behind him, expecting her to be in bed, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Elena?" He called out quietly. Then he heard her in the bathroom, moving around hurriedly as though something was wrong. He burst through the bathroom door and gasped as he took in the sight of her huddled against the corner of the room, hugging her knees and sobbing quietly.

"Elena?" He dashed forward to touch her but she brushed him off as she looked up at him. She looked so small and frightened. He felt his stomach clench. "What's happened?" He whispered and she shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks. He stroked her hair and leant in to hug her but she put her hand against his chest and stopped him. He frowned in confusion and pain at her rejection. Her expression softened as she watched his distress change his demeanour. She took his hand in hers and turned it palm upwards. He looked at her in confusion again, then she placed something into his palm and stood up. He looked down and felt like he wanted to vomit as he did so. An empty blood bag lay in his hands…


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15&

Damon couldn't move as Elena left the bathroom. He was frozen looking down at the empty blood bag. This couldn't be happening! He felt like he was going to hyperventilate. He came back to his body and tried to get up from his crouched position. His legs were wobbly and he had to lean on the wall for support. He made his way into the bedroom again to find Elena standing staring out of her window, holding herself. He didn't know what to say, so he just stood staring at her. Eventually she spoke.

"I drank it over an hour ago. I feel fine." Her voice was devoid of emotion and it broke his heart to hear her sounding so defeated.

"Elena..." He didn't know how to continue. She turned to face him, both of them looking at each other in distress. He tried to straighten up and calm himself. "Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe because you've drank from the vein regularly since you transitioned…"

"Damon." Elena stopped him in his tracks, looking at him hopelessly. She shook her head sadly.

"Elena, it doesn't change anything for me." He tried to sound more confident. He couldn't stand to see the sadness in her eyes. He stepped up to her and held her by the shoulders, giving her a squeeze.

"Oh no?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "Klaus told me about the last time this happened to you." She continued to look up at him as she spoke. Damon felt like he had been given a blow to the chest. She knew.

"Wait, you're friends with Klaus now?" He was aghast that she had gone to Klaus of all people. He frowned in vexation. "That situation was totally different, I never felt anything for her before or after I turned her, but I love you. I have loved you since I met you. This doesn't change that." His face was serious and he squeezed her shoulders again.

"How can we trust anything now? How can I trust that you won't get bored of me and how can you trust that I'm with you because I really do love you and not because of _this_?"

"You were positive earlier on today. Are you changing your mind now?" He let go of her arms and took a step back. He could feel panic start to climb up the back of his neck like an insect as he waited for her to decide.

"I don't know." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes again. She reached out for him and his face went hard - his mouth forming a tight line as she took in his defensive posture. She had affected this response from him many times before, generally when she was causing him pain. She felt so torn, she didn't know how to feel. Klaus had told her how affected people could be by a sire bond – that they could practically lose all ability to have free will and they would be unaware of it. That terrified her and although this wasn't Damon's fault she knew that he was the one whom she would be slaved to. Damon continued to look at her, pained. She sobbed as she put her arms around his neck and held him. He was stiff in her embrace.

"I know how I feel about you right now, but I'm scared Damon. I'm so scared of losing myself."

He seemed to soften slightly and began to stroke comforting circles on her back. He sighed, blowing his breath across her neck as he did so. She closed her eyes and held onto him tighter, placing a small kiss onto his neck. He pulled back and placed a small kiss on her lips.

"I think we are equally matched you know." He whispered as he stroked her cheek. She raised her eyebrows in question at his comment.

"I feel like I have been sired to you since the first time I met you Elena." He continued to look at her earnestly. She sighed in surprise and love at his words. "I will be your slave for as long as I live, no sire bond necessary." She broke into a smile and hugged him to her fiercely. They would figure this out together. She took him by the hand and led him over to the bed, pulling him down with her. They smiled at each other like love-struck teenagers for a few minutes before her heart quickened with an idea. She smiled to herself mischievously.

"If you are sired to me then I would like to do some experimenting of my own." Elena smiled at him seductively. She grinned as she heard his heartbeat increase at her words. She would never get tired of the almost human-like blush that could sweep across his cheeks lately when she leant in towards him. He was adorably submissive at times with her. She knew that he never showed this side of himself to anyone else and it made it all so much hotter!

"Take your clothes off Mr Salvatore." She instructed as he grinned back at her. He leaned in to kiss her but she put her finger to his lips and shook her head. "Clothes off!" He rolled his eyes and smiled but did as he was told. He stood up to remove his jeans, watching her with a smoulder as he enjoyed the way she was eyeing his groin. He could feel himself become more and more aroused as she licked her lips absentmindedly. He knew how his body looked, he had never had a problem getting women into bed. He removed his boxers and discarded them onto the floor now standing naked before her as he turned his attention back to her. He smirked triumphantly at how aroused she appeared already. He placed his hands on his hips casually, awaiting her next instruction with a raised eyebrow. Instead of giving him an instruction she stood up and pulled him towards her. He took this as an opportunity to kiss her again but she pushed him roughly down onto the bed as he tried to move in for the kill. He bounced on the bed, surprised at her movement and gazed up at her marvelling in her new found confidence.

"No talking." She instructed and he couldn't repress a chuckle at her attempt to be dominant. He relaxed back into the mattress, crossing his arms behind his head. She could see he found this scenario amusing, so she was going to make sure that he would squirm as much as possible. She almost needed to prove to herself that she could be in control. This sire bond thing had her doubting whether he would be able to stop himself from trying to control what was happening between them. She needed to know that they could still strive for equality. She slowly removed her clothing as he watched transfixed from his position. His eyes gleamed at her. He still couldn't quite believe his luck. She leant down and climbed up the bed towards him. Now it was his turn to lick his lips in anticipation as he watched her. She stopped at his navel and hovered there looking up at him. His body tensed as she placed a kiss on his stomach lightly. He brought his arms down from behind his head and reached for her.

"You are not allowed to touch me Mr Salvatore." She smiled wickedly and he groaned in response, beginning to wonder whether he was going to enjoy this game. She smirked evilly at him, which definitely got his attention! He exhaled out loud and tried to stare up at the ceiling as she began to place small kisses up his chest. The sound of her lips connecting with his skin was enough to start him feeling the heat increase within him. He closed his eyes, trying to fight the urge to turn her onto her back and just enjoy her ministrations on his body. Goosebumps popped up all over his body as her hair fell away from her head and stroked his sides. He could feel his body stir, waiting for an opportunity as her naked knees pushed his legs further apart to give her access to his torso. He couldn't help himself let out a whimper as she reached his nipples and circled her tongue around them skilfully. He was forced to reach his arms behind him to stop himself from touching her again as she bit his left nipple and made him gasp in surprise. She was better at this than she thought.

She enjoyed the little sounds he was making as she continued to play with his restraint. She wanted to push him to the furthest reaches of his control to find out what his threshold actually was. His skin was so smooth and milky, she felt like she wanted to make a mark on him somehow. Make a mark that said that he was hers, that only she could touch him like this now. She bit his right nipple as she lightly stroked her fingers up the side of his rib cage. He writhed underneath her and she could feel his hardness against her. She looked up at his face and was aroused to see his eyes closed tight in sensation and his arms pushing against the headboard. He was doing well. He turned his head slightly to the left to take a shaky breath and she lowered her mouth to his neck and bit deep into his neck. Her mouth vibrated at the moan that came from him as she drank. Everything about his earlier reactions to her was heightened. His breathing came faster and he moved beneath her as though he was desperate for friction. She felt herself awash with the taste of him and the desire for him to be inside her almost made her pull him on top of her, but she had to prove to herself that they could do this her way. She lifted her head, unsure of her own restraint when it came to his blood driving her to completion and she looked down at his face. He was panting and sweating, so his hair had begun to stick to his forehead. He turned to look at her dazed with desire. She ran her nose down the side of his cheek and placed a kiss at the corner of his mouth, eliciting a groan from him again.

He was very hard now and she wanted to put him out of some of his misery so she slid her body down slowly until she was poised above his groin. He sat up slightly watching her with dilated pupils as she lowered her mouth down and took his length inside. She might not have 100 years of experience when it came to intercourse but she knew she was good at this particular act. She used her tongue to stroke him as she moved up and down his length, all the while watching as his cheeks became a glorious shade of red and his eyes half closed. He looks bedraggled already with his hair sticking up and sweaty and his eyes so glazed. She increased her pressure and stroked the inside of his thigh gently as he tilted his head back and moaned in pleasure. She wanted to consume every part of him, take all of his being inside of her so that they would always be one and nothing could ever separate them. She took him in as far as she could and hummed in achievement as she heard him cry out. She focussed on her movements, swallowing him and releasing him again and again. He twisted his hands in the sheets and was holding on for dear life as she worked him into such frenzy his body was begging her for release. She lifted her head from him and continued to work him with her hand as she gave him another instruction.

"No climax till I say so." She stated and he lifted his head, with obvious difficulty, to stare at her in horror. She doubted that he could speak even if he wanted to right now, he was so flushed and out of breath. He frowned giving her a torn expression. He wanted to obey her commands, he knew why she needed this but he didn't think he could. He made a begging noise as she tightened her grip on his length. She released her hold on him and climbed up to kiss his mouth. She needed to allow him some release. He accepted her kisses greedily as he rocked underneath her, trying to get some relief. He couldn't stop his pelvis from bucking up towards her as she held him. He wanted to put himself inside of her so badly it was starting to become difficult to think about anything else. He was about to give up on this whole thing and penetrate her when he felt her bite him again, this time on his chest. He arched his body up into hers and shuddered as she drew a mouthful. He could feel his eyes roll into the back of his head as he sucked in a huge breath. He was only vaguely aware that she had moved until he felt her fangs go in again, this time into his inner thigh. He jumped slightly at the contact so near to his manhood and he felt himself being pushed to his limits. He reached behind and grabbed hold of the headboard this time, trying not to lose control as she licked further up his thigh and around his privates. He cried out and tried not to shout her name in desperation as he began to feel his whole body shake with the strain of being submissive to her. He couldn't take it much longer.

Elena felt his muscles begin to shake as she kissed around his length. This was the pivotal point in her experiment. He was pulling her headboard away from the wall right now so she better act quickly or he would break her bed! She kept a gentle stroke on his length as she leant up towards his face.

"What do you want me to do Damon?" She purred into his ear. He had sweat running down his chest from his exertions and stared at her wildly as though he was going to explode.

"Elena…!" He begged.

"What do you want me to do?" She repeated coyly, cooing at him.

"Your mouth, please…!" He writhed, gasping for breath and she smiled down at him. She felt the urge to use her mouth grasp her strongly as she pulled back from him and released him from her hand. This was where she would test this. She wanted to do the opposite of what he had told her. If she could then she would know that this sire bond thing couldn't completely control her. Her throat burned and her mouth filled with saliva at the thought of letting his seed spill into her mouth. She could feel the need to swallow his essence start to cloud her mind as she moved to suck him in. She wanted to taste him, she had to taste him! His body rose to meet her lips and she swallowed him as far as she could take him. He cried again under her and she felt such a rush of satisfaction and love she could barely take it. She gripped his hips pulling him in towards her as she began to suck him, trying to take all of him into her. His cries rose in pitch as she felt him close to letting go, when her mind flicked back to the purpose of this exercise. Her eyes flew open as she realised what she was doing and she managed to pull herself up and release him from her mouth. He gasped at the loss of contact and groaned as though he were in pain. She shook herself for a moment and then rose above him, opening her body to him instead. She lowered herself down and took him inside deeply. He tossed his head to the side, almost dying from restraint so she moved herself upon him, tilting her pelvis so she could take him as deep as she could go. He cried out her name and tilted his head back as she increased her speed. He wouldn't last long and the sight of him falling apart underneath her was so arousing that she felt herself begin to climax too. She closed her eyes and rode him until he cried out again and spilled inside of her. She could feel his heartbeat thunder in his chest and she clung to his hips as she let herself go too. She hadn't realised just how much her body wanted him until he was inside.

She carefully released him and collapsed beside him on the bed as they both panted trying to catch their breaths. His whole body was shivering as he draped his arm over his eyes and tried to breathe. She looked over at him smiling and laughing. It took him a minute to realise that she was laughing and he lifted his arm to look at her in surprise.

"We did it!" She said triumphantly. It took a moment for her comment to register in his head and then he smiled in amazement back at her.

"Sired or not, we can do this." She breathed excitedly and she turned onto her side, pulling him onto his to hold him. They gazed at each other as they began to come down from the rush and slowly they closed their eyes and fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Damon hadn't come home last night and Stefan knew what that meant. He couldn't help crunching his teeth in anger and jealousy. He couldn't believe that both Damon and Elena were trying to ignore this when it meant that everything was upside down. Elena wasn't herself anymore and she didn't seem to care about that. She would still be with him had she not been sired, he was positive of that fact. He had to do something to break this bond that she and Damon had, it was unnatural. He had been ripping his hair out trying to decide what to do. He had to be smart about this because he knew Damon would fight him all the way to keep Elena. He had in the end decided that he had to find the girl that had been sired to Damon before. He had to find out if she had been able to break the bond through time. He had to know whether there was any hope if they couldn't find the cure. The thought of having to watch Elena and Damon together, hear them making love upstairs, drove him to the point of wanting to rip someone's head off and feed till he blacked out.

He had called a few friends and sent the message down the grapevine that he was looking for the girl. All he could remember about her was that her name was Charlotte and the last place he had seen her was when he and Lexi had been passing through New Orleans in the 1940s. He had realised what was going on between Damon and Charlotte pretty quickly and had had to pull Damon up about the way he was treating her. Damon had responded in the usual fashion when confronted and left him to clean up the mess. Charlotte had been so heart broken when Damon had skipped out of town that she didn't hang around to be consoled by Stefan and Lexi. They had lost track of her through the years and never knew what happened to her. Now Stefan had to be patient and hope that she would contact him.

He heard Damon's car arrive out front and braced himself for what was to come next. He was desperate to know if Damon had tested the sire bond and if he had, had he explained the whole sire thing to her. He stood up expectantly, rubbing his hands down his jeans nervously. He had been so busy focussing on what their conversation was going to entail that he hadn't heard the fact that Damon wasn't alone.

Elena entered through the door first, followed by Damon. Stefan swallowed nervously and with some anxiety. He noted how relaxed they both seemed to be, how much they appeared to be at ease with each other physically as they moved within each others' personal space before noticing that he was standing staring at them. Elena smiled tightly, tilting her head and tucking her hair behind her ear shyly. Damon's expression was similar to Elena's as they all looked at each other with unease.

"Sorry, I thought you'd already be in class." Elena said trying to sound casual and friendly. She looked up into his eyes for a moment and then looked away guiltily.

"No, I wanted to talk with Damon actually. Why aren't you in class?" He knew it was a cheap jibe but he couldn't think of anything else to say to convey his annoyance at her presence.

"Yeah, well there are more important things happening right now than school Stefan." She kept her tone casual, but he could see a flicker of annoyance directed at him through her expression. Damon hadn't budged or said anything at all. It was strange how his brother was becoming more of an observer than a loud mouth lately. It was a change and Stefan couldn't quite figure out if it was good or bad. He was starting to feel like he didn't know either of them anymore.

"So I assume that Damon told you everything?" Stefan spoke to Elena but kept his eyes trained on his brother, looking for indication of omission of the facts or guilt about it. Damon smirked and Elena butt in before he could answer.

"He told me what he knows." Elena said. He couldn't help but feel bothered by the fact that evidently they had tested the sire bond theory, discovered it was true and yet still they were all standing here as though it didn't matter. He needed to make sure that she was totally in the know about what the sire bond meant and how it could change her. He felt confident in the belief that he was looking out for her best interests no matter what Damon intimated was his real intention.

"Yeah, and we learned a little more from a brief Klaus interlude." Damon added, pulling a face as he said the name Klaus.

"You spoke to Klaus?" Stefan asked incredulously, taking a step closer to them. Elena folded her arms around herself defensively.

"I needed answers and he provided them." She went into no further explanation. Damon rolled his eyes behind her.

"Klaus said that people only bond to their 'sire' if they have feelings for them already. It's not just a shot in the dark so to speak. So because vampire Barbie hated me, pretty much, no bond there or with Vicki Donovan etc."

"That's what he told you?" Stefan was unconvinced.

"Yup." Damon made a small popping sound with his lips as he pronounced the last letter. Elena had gone from looking agitated to looking uncomfortable again.

"That's convenient." Stefan said still refusing to believe that Elena's dramatic change in feelings hadn't been part of the sire bond. Damon chuckled and shook his head behind Elena. They all looked at each other uncomfortably again, unsure of what to say next.

"Oh spit it out Stefan! Get it off your chest so we can move on from this sucky mopey weirdness and all be a Klaus-fighting Scooby gang again." Damon raised an eyebrow trying to lighten the mood. Stefan didn't bite.

"Oh, ok, so we're just all going to move on and pretend like this isn't a huge deal are we? Like nothing's changed?" Stefan folded his arms in front of his chest now, mimicking Elena's earlier pose but with a feeling of righteous authority this time.

"Stefan…" Elena sighed, slightly shaking her head. "I know that this is painful for you, but you're going to have to accept that this doesn't change how I feel. I wasn't forced into feeling this way, I felt different before I was a vampire."

"But it does change things Elena, can't you see that? How are you ever going to know that your decisions are yours and not because of something Damon wants? Can't you see that Damon could have whatever he wants from you and you wouldn't even realise it was happening?" Damon laughed behind her at his comment and shook his head again. Elena looked at Stefan pointedly and took a deep breath.

"There's not much more I could give him that I haven't already Stefan and it was my choice. You and Caroline saw to that." Stefan's face went blank, revisiting the memories of the past week and silently cringing in the part that he had played in bringing them together. He hadn't known then, this sire thing changed everything. He would never have encouraged them to be together had he known. Now the girl he loved had shared herself, body and mind with his brother and she may not have known her mind when she did so.

"Stefan please, everything is going to be ok. Damon and I understand each other now and he is not going to do anything against my will. We can make this work." She looked at him pleadingly, stretching out her arm to touch Stefan's shoulder. Normally being touched by her warmed his skin but right now it felt as cold as ice. Why was she so desperate to get his permission? It wasn't as though forgiveness and acceptance was part and parcel of being dumped by your girlfriend for your own brother. Stefan shook his head with a small smile, which he didn't feel inside.

"Do what you want, but just remember when you're human again, that I tried to stop this." He muttered turning to leave the room, adding "I hope you told her everything about Charlotte, Damon."

Elena looked around to Damon and they hugged each other for a moment. They knew that this wasn't going to be easy. No one was going to understand what they felt for each other, but not being together just wasn't an option. A knock sounded from behind them and they both looked towards the door in surprise. Damon reached over and opened the door.

"Damon!" Charlotte smiled emphatically before launching herself at him.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

"Charlotte?!" Damon shouted as she knocked him backwards from the sheer force of throwing her body against his. She held him in an iron grip as he struggled to regain control of the situation.

"I thought I would never see you again! I've travelled all over looking for you and now I've found you again!" She ranted as he tried to push her back without injuring her. He turned to look at Elena who stood motionless and pale as a ghost, staring at the scene unfolding. He turned back to Charlotte who was now trying to pull him back in towards her for a kiss.

"Charlotte, Charlotte!" He managed to grab her arms and pin them down. "What are you doing here?" He gasped. Charlotte continued to smile at him like a love sick teenager. It creeped the bejeezes out of him.

"You called for me and I came my love."

"What? I didn't…" then reality sunk in. Damon gritted his teeth and bellowed in the direction of the stairwell, "Stefan!" Stefan had done this. Anger roared inside of Damon. How could Stefan do this to them, to Elena? Stefan had seen how insane Charlotte had been and yet he brought her here to their home!

Stefan appeared at the foot of the foyer, with a pleased look on his face as he observed the struggling Charlotte in Damon's arms.

"How could you do this? Why Stefan?!" Damon demanded. Stefan looked over at Elena who looked as though she might faint at any moment as she stared on. Stefan stepped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"You need to know what this really means Elena. I'm so sorry, but this was the only way to get you to understand." He spoke soothingly, but his words gave her no comfort. Her expression became blank and she found herself very much needing to vomit. She snapped out of her reverie and sprinted for one of the bathrooms as Damon growled in anger at Stefan.

"I should kill you for this! How could you do this to her?" Damon shouted, finally pushing Charlotte away against the wall in vexation. Charlotte remained there quite happily, gazing over at Damon in awe. Stefan held his stance as they glared at each other.

"I shouldn't have had to force this Damon. You know what you did to Charlotte and the same thing will happen to Elena. I can't let you do that just to satisfy your own desires!" Stefan said calmly. Damon launched at him and they began smashing each other into the various items of furniture in the hallway. They completely forgot all about Charlotte's presence until Stefan smashed Damon's head against the wall, causing blood to start spilling down his face. Stefan gasped feeling winded and looked down to see a piece of wood sticking out from his stomach. Charlotte growled as she rammed the splint of wood further through him from behind. Stefan yelled out and collapsed as Damon blinked in surprise, slightly dazed from the head wound. Damon looked up at Charlotte, everything seemed to be in slow motion as Charlotte pulled the wood out from Stefan's stomach and aimed for his heart. Damon tried to shout for Charlotte to stop but Charlotte was screaming and picking herself up from the floor before he knew what was happening. Elena growled, kicking Charlotte along the floor into a wall, she had arrived just in time. Damon gasped short breaths of pain as he looked up at Elena whose face was full of loathing and disgust. He felt a sharp pain in his heart as he considered who that expression may be for. He tried to stand up straight and go to her but she cast him a glance which told him not to move and she reached down for Stefan to help him onto his feet. Damon watched helplessly as she carried Stefan down to the basement, away from the carnage in the room and left Charlotte to potter over to Damon as though nothing had happened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

"Elena, I'm so sorry." Stefan mumbled as she handed him a fresh blood bag. He truly seemed to mean it. Elena sat down next to him on the floor and closed her eyes for a minute. Damon and Klaus had both told her about Charlotte and she thought that she had understood, but seeing Charlotte in the flesh, the way she grabbed at Damon, the vacant look in her eyes…it scared her. Coming face to face with the empty shell of someone who might have started out like she did was a big wake up call. Elena brought her knees up to her chin and hugged them. She should have checked that Damon was ok up there, but all she could think about was the need to get away from Charlotte. Stefan finished his blood bag and sat back against the wall breathing in gasps as he tried to recover himself. He looked over at her.

"I didn't know that you were sired to him, I swear. I would never have pushed you to him if I had thought for one second that your decisions might not be your own." He lay a comforting hand on one of her knees. She stared ahead and took a breath.

"I didn't make a decision to love him Stefan. I just felt it." She whispered as a tear ran down her face onto her knee.

"How can you know that Elena? How can you know anything?" He asked her amazed.

"I know because of how I felt in Denver."

"Denver?" He raised his eyebrows in confusion. She turned to face him.

"You said that it didn't matter what did or didn't happen. That you didn't need to know about it. You need to know now." Stefan took in a deep breath in anticipation and fear of what she was going to tell him.

"You sent me on that road trip to find out if I had any feelings for him. I didn't want to have feelings. I didn't want to go on that trip, but that night in the motel…"

"I don't want to know Elena." Stefan interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"No, you do have to know!" She stated firmly, holding his gaze as she spoke. She knew this was painful but he had to face the facts. "That night, I found out that he had given Rose a dream that was beautiful as she was dying. He held her and gave her that right at the end and it made me realise how much love and good there is in him." Stefan turned his face away from her, but she continued, "It made me see him for who he really is, not who he pretends to be and I realised that I wanted to explore that with him. So, I kissed him. It was all me, my choice and I felt love for him. When we got back, I didn't know what to do about it because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. Then, I died and everything that I felt that night in Denver flooded back to me."

Stefan shook his head painfully and sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry Stefan." She whispered, "I know none of us know how deeply this sire thing has affected me since I transitioned, but I do know for sure that what I feel for him is real."

"Are you really going to let this happen? Are you going to take the chance that you might end up like her?" Stefan motioned towards the ceiling as they both looked up to hear sounds of furniture getting smashed and moved around.

"He won't let that happen to me." She said. He looked at her perplexed.

"How do you know that it's even within his control? He might not realise that he's doing it." He spat out angrily at the very thought that Damon may not be aware of his own selfish desires.

"We know what this means. We have talked about it. We have both tested our restraint." Stefan gave out a small mocking laugh and tilted his head back against the wall, listening to the sounds of Charlotte crying hysterically upstairs and the drone of Damon's vexation permeating through the stone.

"I'm sure that you both believe that." Stefan sighed, it was like talking to someone from a weird religious cult – nothing he could say was going to convince her.

"I can't lose him." She whispered laying her chin against her knee. Stefan stood up carefully, holding his tender, healing stomach for support as he did so. The upstairs world seemed to have calmed down. He looked down at her still sitting hugging her knees.

"Let me deal with this, you stay down here." He commanded and she gave a small nod in admission. He slowly climbed the stairs back up towards the sitting room. It looked like a tornado had ripped through the house. He sighed thinking about how much it was going to cost to replace everything that now lay in shattered pieces all over the floor. Charlotte was nowhere to be seen. Damon was sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. He didn't acknowledge Stefan as he approached him.

"Job well done brother." Damon commented grimly, continuing to hold his head in his hands.

"You get why I did this." Stefan didn't mean it as a question, more of a statement and yet as he spoke his tone suggested that he was now not as sure of himself as he had been. Damon didn't respond. "Where did Charlotte go?"

"I told her that I didn't love her, that I love Elena and that she should leave and never think about me again." Damon's voice was devoid of emotion. It gave Stefan chills up his neck. Damon sounded broken and a broken Damon generally led to badness for everyone else.

"And she just left?" Stefan questioned in amazement, looking towards the front door. Damon made a small grunt of confirmation. The wheels started turning in Stefan's head. That was the answer to this whole thing. Perhaps the way to break the sire bond was to verbalise it. If Damon told Elena that she couldn't be with him, that she shouldn't be, then she would obey his wishes.

"No." Damon said with some force. Stefan raised his eyebrows.

"What?" Stefan queried. Damon lifted his head and shot a threatening glare at Stefan.

"I said no. I am not going to do that to Elena." He gave a slight growl under his tone. Stefan glared back at him menacingly.

"It's the only way to free her Damon. You have the power to release her from this." Stefan spat out challenging him. Damon got up and glared at him, his nostrils flaring.

"I love her, she loves me. I am not going to send her away so it can make you feel better." He stated emphatically.

"If you really loved her, you would never risk her mind Damon. She could be like Charlotte in no time if it were left up to your _restraint_."

"You just want her back, whose interests are you really thinking about?" Damon cornered.

"If her feelings are real then she will come back to you. How will you ever know if you don't know that she is really acting on her own reasoning and not yours? I would have thought you wouldn't have wanted her the way she is - a consolation prize." Damon growled again, growing ready to attack Stefan again, when Stefan's word began to sink in painfully. Damon took a step back almost staggering and considered his reasoning. He knew deep down that Stefan was right, but he couldn't let Elena go, not after everything that had happened. Perhaps he was afraid of her commitment to him after all. He had never been loved like she had loved him these past few days and if there was a chance that this wasn't real, it would kill him. He had to know. He sat back down and put his head back in his hands shakily.

"I'll do it." Damon whispered as he felt his whole body shake.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

Elena sat listening to them talking upstairs. Had they seriously forgotten that she was a vampire now and therefore she could hear everything they were saying to one another? Her heart quickened as she heard Damon cave under Stefan's reasoning and she felt the bile rise up her throat as she stood up. Damon wouldn't, he couldn't be serious! He couldn't do that to her, not after everything they had said to each other, not after everything they had done together. They had shared themselves so completely, how could he think that she was going to be ok with this plan to command her to leave him? She made a dash for the sitting room and was there in a second to catch Damon put his head in his hands miserably. Stefan turned to look at her and gave her a look of sorrow and concern. She could slap that look right off of his face!

"Don't you dare!" She shouted at both of them. Why was it that the twists and turns of her life always came down to the decisions of these two men? She wasn't going to let this happen.

"Elena…" Stefan began sadly, trying to reason with her angry expression.

"Don't go there Stefan! This is my life and I'm sick of being pushed around. I know what I want and I know what's at stake here." Damon looked up at her dazed, with such a washed out look of defeat on his face that she almost went to him to comfort him. She couldn't look at his expression too long, she had to stay strong. She turned to Stefan and straightened herself up, trying to look calm and collected. "Stefan, this really isn't anything to do with you anymore. This is between Damon and me. Could you leave us alone for a while?" The sureness of her voice must have hit home with him as he winced slightly in grief and then made a hasty retreat out of the boarding house, leaving them alone. Elena turned back to Damon, whose face had gone blank. Her stomach plummeted, she had to convince him that the plan they had had this morning would work.

"Damon, I am not Charlotte." She said gently as she knelt before him and took both of his hands in hers. He looked into her eyes and then down at their entwined hands thoughtfully.

"What if Stefan's right? What if don't even realise that I'm controlling you?" His gaze on her was very intense and she had to take a deep breath before answering him.

"Couples do control each other sometimes without knowing it Damon. When you love someone you want to make them happy, you don't need some mystical bond for that to happen. What is important is that we don't use it against each other." As she spoke she reached up and cupped his face with one of her hands, still holding both of his tightly with her other. He closed his eyes at the contact and let out a shaky breath.

"Perhaps we need to test that." He almost whispered and she felt herself grow worried and nauseous.

"Don't do this to me Damon, please!" She half sobbed. He opened his eyes and looked at her in torment. His eyes were glazed with unshed tears, but he kept his face serious. Normally he gave in when she cried, he couldn't stand to see her hurting but his face was different this time. She could feel the change in him and it scared her more than anything. Panic started to boil inside of her as she realised that he meant to do this. He was going to send her away!

"Elena, you need to go stay with Caroline. I'm not good for you…" His voice was steady and calm and she felt like she wanted to slap him to get some emotion from him. She grabbed his shoulders fiercely.

"Don't do this!" She screamed at him but he kept his nerve.

"I don't want you." He said and she felt tears spill from her eyes as she gasped at his hurtful words. He paused as she sobbed, looking down at the ground. He was so tense and still, like a statue in her arms. Where was the man who promised he would never use the sire bond against her?

"You promised you would never make me do something that wasn't my choice!" She sobbed, unable to look into the unknown face before her. The face that looked like Damon's but was empty and cruel. Slowly he detached himself from her and stood up, crossing the room away from her. She couldn't move, she couldn't think she was so confused and hurt. She grabbed onto the arm of the sofa for support as she felt her chest collapse from the weight of her sadness.

"You're going to be ok Elena. You don't need me anymore. You're going to leave and never…" His back was turned to her so he didn't see the huge vase that she hurled at his head. It cracked him and sent him flying onto the floor in a heap. He raised his head and stared at her in complete shock. She was so angry her fangs were out, despite the tears that rolled down her face.

"I hate you!" She screamed at him and he continued to lie looking up at her shell shocked into submission. She blurred in front of him and threw the front door open in a crash as she sped out of the house. Damon lay in that same position, with his head placed back down on the floor. He closed his eyes and finally the tears that had resided there, dropped onto the carpet beneath him. He slowly nodded to himself, understanding that he had just broken two hearts that could never be mended again. He had just killed his only chance of happiness.

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Anger. Blind, red, hot anger. That was all she felt. It was all that mattered right now. Damon had done it. He had said she was to go to Caroline. He was worthless, terrible and completely wrong for her. She didn't need him! He obviously didn't love her like she loved him. He didn't want her anymore so he had disposed of her like some lab rat. Anger. Rage. Venom. Hate. Stefan. Stefan made Damon do this. Stefan was to blame that she felt so used and discarded. How could Stefan allow her to feel this way?

Elena shook her head fuzzily trying to think back on what had happened at the boarding house. Stefan had argued and said she was crazy for still wanting Damon despite being sired. Stefan had told Damon to make her leave him. Damon didn't want her anymore. Damon didn't want her anymore? Damon wasn't a good fit for her. She nodded to herself contemplating the truthfulness of those words and then she stopped in her tracks.

Wait.

Damon couldn't have meant that. He loved her, she knew he did and she loved him too. But he said… Elena's head started to thump as though someone was drilling through her brain. She sat down on the ground and held her head, willing the pain to go away so she could think clearly. She tried to breathe calmly and slow her racing heart but she felt as though her lungs were being crushed inside of her. Everything seemed to be squeezing her insides – the trees around her loomed as though laughing at her, the birds sat on in discussion of her weakened state and even the water nearby whispered of how pathetic she looked.

A sharp crack sounded and Elena was sure that it was something in her head gone bust, as pain filled her even more. Was she having an aneurysm? She cried out in pain as the ground came up to meet her, covering her face in mud and water. She had to get help, but she didn't know who to call out for. She didn't need Damon anymore, but…she wanted him. She wanted him so badly that she called for him regardless of his feelings towards her. He might not want her anymore but it didn't mean that he would let her die. She called sobbingly for Damon once more before she saw a pair of feet in front of her. Woman's feet.


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry for such a gap in chapters guys. I was feeling quite tied up in what was going on with the show and the similarities to what i was writing, so i got stuck! So...hopefully you will continue to like where i am going with this. There may be some S&M-like scenarios following so hope it doesn't scare anyone off. Merry Christmas everyone!

CHAPTER 19&

Stefan downed his third shot of tequila as Caroline stared on. He knew it was a bad idea to get drunk but he didn't care right now. He needed something to numb the pain.

"Are you ok?" Caroline asked gently, eyeing him in concern. He shook his head honestly.

"Maybe I should just leave and let them get on with it." He said sourly, the distaste, suddenly filling his mouth, so bitter that he reached out and poured another shot. Caroline sat forward in her chair and held his gaze.

"You can't leave Stefan. She needs you. She might not know it yet but she loves you and you can't leave her here on her own."

"She has Damon now." He commented snorting.

"So, you don't think he will go through with it?"

"I don't know anymore. I don't think I know either of them anymore. They've both changed. They seem to have this language that no one else understands." He sat back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief that the tequila bottle was finally getting a reprieve.

Neither of them spoke as they contemplated the gravity of the situation.

"He does love her though, maybe he will see that it has to be done. That it's better for her if she isn't with him." Caroline pointed out, trying not to sound too resolute about the love angle of the comment.

"This is Damon. He's wanted her for a long time and now that he has her, even this way, I'm not sure if he's capable of letting her go whether it's the right thing to do or not." He stared up at the ceiling solemnly. Caroline made a huffing sound.

"I should call her. When did you last see them?" Caroline enquired, realising that it had been a few days since she had seen Elena and the last time they had spoken they had fought. In all of the time they had been friends they had never let an argument continue for this long.

"This morning." Stefan stated bluntly. He had been trying not to notice the ticking of time, hoping that he could just rewind it rather than let events he didn't feel comfortable with unfold.

"You said they were having a pretty deep conversation when you left. Isn't it weird we haven't heard from either of them?" Caroline frowned.

"Perhaps they are…occupied." Stefan said resentfully, fully expecting that Damon and Elena would be otherwise engaged in their blissful ignorance of the truth and its repercussions.

"Elena and I had a big fight and we've never let it go on this long without at least texting." Caroline bit her lip feeling slightly suspicious. She couldn't shake a feeling that something wasn't quite right. Elena had missed school again today and although Caroline could imagine that having such a serious conversation with Damon would have taken priority in Elena's mind, it wasn't like Elena to not at least text her or Bonnie to cover for her in her absence. Caroline pulled her phone from her pocket and pressed Elena's speed dial. Surely the worst outcome would be for her to interrupt Elena and Damon…doing whatever was occupying them. Elena's phone rang and rang before it clicked off. Caroline frowned as it hung up.

"What?" Stefan asked casually, still looking up at the ceiling.

"It didn't go through to her voicemail, it just hung up on me. That's weird." Caroline looked down at her phone as though it would give her answers. Stefan didn't seem fazed. Caroline dialled again and was shocked when the phone clicked off after only two rings. Stefan looked over.

"She hung up on me! She definitely ended the call there, it only rang twice."

"Maybe she doesn't want to talk." He suggested. Caroline frowned. It was a possibility. Elena had been so mad when they had argued at the Grill. Still, Elena wasn't one to run away from confrontation normally. Caroline's stomach sloshed around uncomfortably.

"Maybe." She said unconvinced.

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A cough wracked through Elena violently, bringing her back to consciousness. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up from her position on the ground, but felt a foot connect with her face as she did so. She cried out in pain and tried to shield herself from any more assaults.

"Why you?!" She heard a woman's voice shriek at her. Elena curled herself up, expecting more pain to come her way.

"Please..." Elena choked. She lifted her head after a minute of silence from her attacker and looked into the face of a woman possessed. "Charlotte?" Elena asked in surprise. Damon had told her to leave, why was she still here? Charlotte kneeled down before Elena and stared into her eyes unwaveringly.

"How did you do it?" Charlotte spat at her. Elena recoiled from her viciousness.

"How did I do what?" Elena whispered, trying not to anger Charlotte further.

"How did you make him love you?" Charlotte was crisp and straight to the point. Elena frowned and tried to regulate her breathing.

"I didn't make him. It just happened."

"That's a lie!" Charlotte grabbed her, shaking her roughly as Elena tried to get her balance again and find enough purchase on the ground to enable her to resist, but she was knee deep in the mud and her legs slid out from under her as she tried to push Charlotte back.

"He loved me! You did something to him!" Charlotte was very unstable and Elena watched in horror as what little sign of sanity Charlotte possessed started to leak away into anger. She had to think quickly.

"It's the sire bond!" Elena shouted quickly hoping to calm Charlotte down enough for her to fight back and escape. Charlotte stared at her shell shocked. Elena could feel her whole body vibrate with adrenaline. Strange that her admission of the sire bond, didn't feel like a lie.

"What sire bond?" Charlotte leaned in aggressively. Elena considered how to answer. Did Charlotte not realise what the sire bond was? Was she even aware that that was why she had felt such devotion to Damon all of this time?

"It happens with the vampire who makes you. It makes you feel for them, makes you obey their every desire." Charlotte stared at her blankly, almost as though the wheels in her mind were processing the information.

"Damon made you?" Charlotte asked, a little calmer this time. Elena nodded. She didn't want Charlotte to think that it had been due to a passionate affair though, that would only intensify her rage towards Elena as competition for Damon's affections.

"It was a mistake. His blood was given to heal me but then I died in an accident. Damon didn't know this would happen." Elena added this information to ensure that Charlotte saw her as less of a threat. Charlotte sank down onto the ground next to her. Elena tried to scoot away slightly, to give her some space to attack should Charlotte become violent again. Charlotte seemed not to notice Elena's movements as she stared into space, considering what Elena had told her.

"Damon made me too." Charlotte mumbled. "We loved each other though." She turned to Elena confused.

"Of course you did." Elena whispered trying to appear as empathetic as possible. She knew that Charlotte was crazy but she couldn't help the niggling thought at the back of her mind telling her that someone could be having this conversation with her someday. "When Damon realised that he was controlling you, he left to protect you." Elena knew that that was a lie. Damon always thought of himself first and he'd known exactly what he was doing when he had abandoned this girl. The cruelty of his actions made her shudder. It was when he did things like this that made everyone so resistant to the idea that Elena could love him.

"But, I'm better now. He doesn't have to make me leave anymore." Charlotte seemed to brighten as she spoke.

"What do you mean?" Elena probed, trying to get Charlotte to hold onto whatever sanity she had left.

"I couldn't go searching for him when he left me. It hurt like someone was twisting my insides when I tried, but I had to go looking for him. A local witch found me one night and took pity on me. She said she could help me so it didn't hurt so much to move further away from New Orleans."

"You broke the sire bond?" Elena gasped more to herself than Charlotte, unsure if what Charlotte was telling her was possible. Did Charlotte realise that that was what must have happened in order for her to be able to leave New Orleans? Klaus had told her that magic couldn't fix the problem though, so how was that possible?

"I didn't have to stay in New Orleans anymore." Charlotte said in a dreamy haze as though she was reliving the memory. Elena gulped as her heart began to race. If what Charlotte was saying was true then there was a way out of this mess. She had to find the witch too.

"Charlotte, who was the witch? I want to break my bond too." Elena touched her arm and squeezed it gently to get Charlotte attention again.

"Why should I tell you?" Charlotte hissed and dragged her arm away from Elena. Elena leant away from her unsure of whether Charlotte was going to attack again.

"If I break my bond too, then you can have Damon all to yourself. He won't want me anymore." Elena encouraged, feeling like she was talking to a small child. Charlotte's eyes were ablaze with an emotion Elena couldn't quite place, she became wary again.

"Why should I help you when I could just kill you?" Charlottes' fangs dropped down and gleamed at her suddenly. Elena inhaled sharply in fear, she had to think quickly.

"Damon won't be happy if you kill me! He'll be angry at you!" It was a long shot but she had to try. Elena hoped that although Charlotte seemed to be able to withstand his desires, she still seemed to love him and wouldn't want to upset him. Elena's gamble seemed to work and Charlotte pulled back from her with a serious expression. Bingo. Elena slowly started to rise up from her crouched position on the ground and Charlotte mimicked her, observing her with intense scrutiny.

"Why would you want to break this bond of yours if you want him?" Charlotte questioned. Elena thought hard on how to answer, convinced that should she tell Charlotte it was to prove that she could love him without his influence, she would become enraged again. She made the painfully hard choice to lie through her teeth and try to pull of the best performance of her life.

"Because I didn't love him before the bond, I loved his brother Stefan and I want him back." Every cell in her body felt violated by the sheer whopper of a lie she was serving. She was so glad that no one else was around to hear it. She knew that her friends wanted her to admit to these feelings, they were sure that her change in heart had been because of the sire bond. Saying this bold faced lie out loud almost felt painful in its lack of foundation in truth, but she knew that it would be believable and she had to focus on the fact that it was a necessary evil in this situation. Charlotte nodded her head, taking in the lie and Elena felt her shoulders drop with relief. She hadn't even realised she had been holding her shoulders up to her ears – such a human action that evidently she hadn't shaken yet.

"I'll take you to her then."

"Where is she?" Elena probed as they started walking towards the edge of the woods.

"New Orleans. If you're lucky you might just make it back here afterwards." Charlotte snorted in amusement.

"What do you mean?" Elena frowned.

"I'm the only one who has survived the treatment so far."


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20&

"What?!" Elena stopped walking and Charlotte spun around to face her, almost happy to see Elena's distress.

"Yeah. She said that she'd been trying to help people for years but most of them went mad and killed themselves. It worked for me though." Charlotte said proudly. She really had lost her mind. Elena felt faint as she realised what this could mean. This whole time she had been frightened that Damon's control over her mind could make her lose herself and here she was walking right into a scenario that (judging by the outcome of Charlotte's mental state) didn't give her much hope that she would emerge as Elena anymore either. Her heart started to batter against her ribcage as she swallowed the bile that had come into her mouth. Should she do this? What if it made her mad? Was it worth the risk of losing her mind? Elena's eyes filled with tears as she tried to blink away the panic that had her by the throat as Charlotte stared on at her, unblinking and emotionless.

"I could just kill you instead, save you the worry." Charlotte smiled with such evil dripping from her that Elena wondered how the woman had ever been human. Elena gulped down her anxiety and straightened up. She had no choice now but to go through with this. Charlotte was dangerous as long as she thought Elena was competition and the only way to absolve her would be to either convince her that the bond had been broken or actually break it for real. That was what she wanted wasn't it? To break the bond and know once and for all if she did love Damon? Damon would never approve of what she was contemplating and she knew it, but somehow the guilt she would normally feel empowered her. He was always doing stupid dangerous things to save her and look out for her, now she would prove she was willing to do the same for him. Elena shook her head at Charlotte and began walking towards Charlotte's car.

She was going to do this and she was going to be ok. She just had to remember why she needed to do this, she needed to think about Damon and not let go of how she felt about him. She pulled her cell out of her pocket as it vibrated. Caroline. Elena let it ring hoping she would get the message. Caroline of all people would tie her up and lock her away if she knew that Elena was thinking of doing this. Caroline persisted calling again so Elena hung up. None of them could know or they would try and stop her. She sent Jeremy a brief text telling him that she needed some time away from Mystic Falls and she would call in a few days and then she turned her cell off completely. Every fibre in her body burned for her to text Damon and tell him that she loved him, just in case this went wrong, but she knew that her present company would notice. She slipped the cell back into her jacket and continued on towards her fate.

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Damon lay with his arm draped across his eyes. He couldn't call her just yet. He had to figure out what he was going to say. He had spent the past day kicking himself for having made such a rash decision to send Elena away before they had even thought about a wicked witch of the west option. The creepy professor seemed to have an idea that could work on helping to programme a sense of deliberation in Jeremy, but Damon didn't completely trust him. Would it really be wise to let the guy tinker around inside Elena's head, when they didn't know that much about his intentions? Bonnie seemed to trust him. He let out a huge sigh and reached for his bourbon glass on the floor beside him.

"Still drunk?" He heard Stefan scold as he surveyed the volume of liquid missing from the formerly full decanter.

"Thankfully." Damon muttered. What did Stefan expect? That he would be dancing around and merry? That he would shrug off the fact that he had finally gotten the girl but had had to give her up because he loved her and _in spite_ of how much he loved her? Yeah that was just what Stefan wanted. He wanted Damon to get over it as though it had never happened. Deal with the fact that Elena would never be his and go back to being her second choice. Well, he couldn't do that anymore. Not after having had her. Not after knowing how she smelled, tasted, how she sounded when they had made love. He would never be able to expunge those details from his memory.

"Where's Elena?" Stefan ventured. Oh, that's right! Stefan had taken off and missed the perfect romantic ending to the Damon and Elena story. He must think that Damon hadn't had the guts to do it. Anger boiled inside Damon and coiled in his stomach like a snake waiting to spring. He lifted his arm from his face and stared hard at Stefan with eyes that screamed murder. Stefan raised his eyebrows and licked his lips nervously.

"You…you did it?" Stefan asked carefully, trying not to sound too surprised. Damon's jaw tightened as he considered getting up and ripping Stefan head off. It would make a mess over the new Persian rug but it might make him feel a lot better. Stefan tensed up, as if he sensed the impending onslaught.

"I'm sorry Damon." He said quietly with a genuine tone. It sounded like he meant it. Damon watched him suspiciously. Stefan really seemed to mean it. "Thank you." Stefan said sincerely, which only added to Damon's internal rage.

"I didn't do it for you!" Damon growled and put his arm over his eyes again, trying to calm himself down. Even though he couldn't see him, he knew that Stefan was nodding. He was so damn sure of himself it made Damon sick.

"She'll forgive you, you just need to give her space and time." Stefan added. Why the hell was he still talking, couldn't he see how much Damon was having to hold himself back from launching into him and beating his head against the wall until he felt better? Hell, he could go around and beat quite a few people today and undoubtedly feel much better than he did right now. It was so tempting – that was why he had gone the bourbon route. Intoxication made for slower reflexes and coordination. He sprang up, stumbling slightly thanks to Mr Bourbon and gripped the end of the sofa, crushing some of the wood beneath by accident.

"Oh, don't you worry brother, she can have all the space and time she needs coz I'm not going to stick around and watch you make little moon eyes at her. I'm done with all of this shit!" Damon shouted taking Stefan off guard. Stefan watched speechlessly as Damon battered his way through the hallway towards his room, knocking into every wall along the way in his inebriated state. Stefan sighed and lifted Damon's half full glass and downed its contents, wincing as it burned on the way down his throat. Damon wouldn't leave. He wouldn't leave her.

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Caroline had been trying to think of how to pick Tyler's mind about the sire bond all day, but she knew there was no way to sugar coat this kind of conversation. After sitting through Tyler rant about the most recent football game on TV and then discuss the progress of one of the other hybrids breaking the bond, she gave up and just asked.

"Ty, I need to know more about your sire bond." She looked up at him sheepishly. Tyler wasn't fond of talking about the sire bond in terms of him specifically. It made him feel vulnerable even though he had broken his bond. Tyler's' jaw tightened and he sighed.

"What do you want to know? I've told you everything I know Care." He reached over and turned the TV off to give her his full attention.

"I know you've told me a lot about how it makes you do things you don't want to, even if you don't realise it, but I want to know more about how it feels." She said suggestively, trying to get him to discuss his emotional aspects.

"What do you mean?" He asked, clearly no following.

"I mean, when you first turned, did you have any feelings, you know, for Klaus?" She bit her lip, already regretting her decision to phrase the question in that way. Tyler grimaced and shook his head slightly.

"What kind of feelings? What are you talking about Care? What's going on?" He asked in a slightly irritated but gentle tone. Caroline couldn't help the blood rush to her face as she contemplated telling him why she was asking such weird questions. She had promised Stefan that she wouldn't tell anyone about Elena being sired to Damon until they all understood exactly what that meant, but then Tyler was her boyfriend and she should be able to talk to him. She let out a long exhale and decided to bite the bullet.

"Ok, I have to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell anyone Tyler. It's really important that this conversation stays between us." She looked at him imploringly and he nodded, albeit with a tightness to his face which was emotive of his discomfort.

"Ok." Caroline nodded to herself. "Elena is sired to Damon. It was his blood that made her a vampire. Stefan and I noticed that she seemed to be agreeing with him on everything and then she broke up with Stefan because she said she had feelings for Damon and…"

"Wow, hold on, hold on!" Tyler interrupted perplexed as Caroline's mouth remained open in mid-sentence. "Elena is sired to Damon?" Caroline nodded sadly and finally closed her mouth, waiting for Tyler to say something helpful. Tyler let out a whistle and shook his head. "That's got to be playing with Stefan's head a bit."

"Yeah, especially since she ended things with him to be with Damon." Caroline added, holding a cushion to her chest to comfort her.

"How long has this been going on?" Tyler turned to her, more intrigued.

"Well, she's been weird since she transitioned and the past week she and Damon have been getting closer. Stefan and I thought that maybe they needed to try things out and get it out of their system, but then we figured out that she was sired to him."

"Get it out of their system?" Tyler gave a short laugh which had Caroline feeling a little defensive.

"Well, yeah I mean Stefan is the one for her but I thought maybe she was just a little confused. If I'd known it was because she was trying to please him, I would never have pushed them together." Tyler could hear the regret and guilt in Caroline's voice and he had to say something.

"Care I know you're not going to like what I'm going to say but I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about. The sire bond doesn't work that way."

"What do you mean?" Caroline sat forward, ditching her comfort pillow as Tyler took a frustrating ly long minute to think about what to say. She raised her eyebrows in anticipation.

"I know you hate Damon, but if Elena's into him, it's because she must be into him. The sire bond controls what you do but it doesn't change how you feel about your sire."

"But she started to have feelings for him after she was turned and he has never hidden the fact from her that he wants her." Caroline tried to argue.

"Yeah, I'll give you that but wasn't it you who was on at her to admit that she liked him when Stefan was all ripper? I mean, she kissed him a couple of times. Maybe she does feel something for him." Tyler reasoned but bit his lip when he saw the mad expression on her face. He knew that he'd struck a nerve and now she was pissed that he'd brought up the pre-vampire romantic interludes and conversations. He wanted to add that it wasn't possible for your sire to order you to love them either, but he thought it best to stop while he still had a head on his shoulders. Caroline was furious but averted her eyes from his face as she considered what he was saying. She knew he was talking sense but she just didn't want to contemplate that Elena could throw Stefan away for Damon.

"So are they like, together now?" Tyler ventured.

"I don't know. Stefan said that Damon was going to order her to stay away from him."

"Why?" Tyler asked surprised.

"Because he would mess with her head Ty! If she had to do everything he wanted…" She shivered at the thought.

"Shouldn't that be her decision?"

"What are you like team Damon or something now?" Caroline fired at him frustrated. He held his hands up in surrender.

"You know what I think of that guy, but Elena should get to decide Care. If he ordered her to leave it'd be taking away her free will, just as much as anything he could do by accident. In fact it'd be worse because he would know he was doing it, especially if it was something she didn't want." Tyler grimaced again and she watched his expressions shift from disgust to sympathy. He turned to look at her again as his words sank in.

"How would you feel if I made the decision to end our relationship and you couldn't do anything about it?" He asked her, taking her hands in his tenderly.

"You did twice before. You left me." She reminded him. He shook his head and sighed.

"Yeah but imagine if I had had the power to do that and have you mentally unable to do anything about it. Imagine I ordered you to never think about me again, _against your will_." He looked deep into her eyes to reflect the seriousness of what he intimating. She took a shaky breath as she imagined what that would feel like – the betrayal, the anger and pain that that would cause her, then she thought of Elena. Her stomach sank and she felt tears start to fill her eyes. Was she the worst best friend in the world? Had she done something terrible by pushing Elena like she had, like Stefan had been pushing Damon? Had they done something unforgiveable and that was why Elena wouldn't pick up her calls today like yesterday? Tyler stroked her fringe to the side in sympathy.

"Can you imagine how I would feel if Klaus had made me do that to you?" Caroline blinked and sent a few tears rolling towards her plump lips. She licked them away and tried to control herself. "Stefan made Damon do it, didn't he? It's already happened?" Tyler's words were grave as he asked. Caroline nodded in response and watched as Tyler's face straightened into one of slight anger and concern – presumably for Elena.

"You need to go to her Care. Right now she's not going to know what to do with herself and she's going to be angry with all of you. She might do something she'll regret." His words sent tingles up her spine as she realised just what a big explosion they might have caused. Elena was so new at this, she was still trying to figure out how to deal with her emotions. Look what she had done to Damon when she was angry with him in the woods that day! Something like this could be catastrophic. She nodded and rose to stand up. She grabbed her bag, planning to go over to Elena's and face her. She looked down at Tyler hoping for some words of support to give her courage. He looked up at her seriously.

"If I were you I'd hurry."


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21&

"What is she going to do to me?" Elena wasn't sure if she actually wanted to know but she had to ask. The thought of not knowing was almost worse than knowing, as her vivid imagination started to play out horrendous painful scenarios to her, making her even more on edge.

"She has to go into your head a bit, make you have funny dreams until it doesn't hurt anymore." Charlotte said casually. She loved every moment of torturing her lovers' new pet.

"Hurt? It's painful?" Elena shuddered and twisted her hands even tighter than she had already been doing the entire car journey.

"Yeah." Charlotte said flatly. Elena squeezed her eyes closed trying to remember to breathe. She hated pain, she had such a low tolerance for it. Jeremy had always laughed at how easily she cried when they had hurt themselves as kids. He was always the tough one, breaking bones and spraining things and never crying, while she could cry at the sight of blood from a cut knee. She began to feel the onset of hyperventilation when Charlotte pulled into a parking space and stopped the car.

"We're here." She announced happily, demonstrating yet again that she was loopy. Elena grabbed the handle at her side and clenched it fiercely, her body almost unwilling to move to the demands of her will. She had never felt so frightened in all of her life. She could be leading herself to the slaughter and it would be her own fault. Charlotte sighed impatiently as Elena sat frozen.

"Think of Stefan." Charlotte suggested, having no idea just how much that name failed to ignite anything other than anger and resentment in Elena. Stefan had forced Damon into ordering her away and now she had to walk the plank, to prove to Damon that they could be together. Elena gritted her teeth thinking about it, when she realised that her anger had replaced a lot of her fear. She had to hang on and keep her head focussed on why she needed to do this. She took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, looking around. They were in a rather shady looking back street, somewhere in New Orleans. She'd never been to New Orleans before and was surprised to see lingering signs that Katrina had been there. The back streets they were walking down looked dilapidated and worn. She was almost glad that she was a vampire as she didn't have to worry about feeling vulnerable to being robbed or attacked anymore. This was a poor side of town indeed. They approached what looked like a herbal remedy shop and opened the door.

Elena looked around, overwhelmed by the smell of dust and incense burning away. The whole shop was stocked full of jarred herbs, candles, tarot cards and ornaments. She was sure that she could spend all day looking around the small shop and still see something that she hadn't seen or noticed before. It was like stepping into another world. She was so busy gazing around the various dream catchers and depictions of fairies that she didn't notice the looks exchanged by Charlotte and the shop keeper.

"She's here to see Rebbi." Charlotte said, snapping Elena's attention back to the women. She couldn't help but notice the look of fear and revulsion on the face of the shopkeeper. Evidently she knew what Elena was and she didn't like it. Elena tried not to take it personally, after all she knew how Bonnie felt about vampires too and rightly so considering how they had affected their lives. The shopkeeper looked her up and down and stupidly Elena tried to smile to make the woman less hostile, however the woman simply frowned at her further in response. The woman nodded and finally spoke.

"Back here." She motioned for Elena to follow into the back of the shop, curtained off from view. Elena felt her skin prickle but forced her legs (which now felt like they were made of lead) to move after her. She cast a glance at Charlotte.

"Are you coming with me?" Elena was amazed that she had even considered the fact that she wanted the lunatic with her, but truth be told, any familiar face was a welcome one right now. Charlotte raised her eyebrows at Elena in surprise at the request, but nodded all the same. Elena breathed a sigh of relief and walked through the curtain into the other side. It was so dark, even her new eyesight found it difficult to adjust. Thankfully her hearing prevailed and she heard the unmistakeable sounds of someone rising from a chair. She squinted until her vision cleared and beheld a small chamber with stone walls and a simple table and chairs. It almost looked like an old air raid shelter. A small African woman stood at the table talking in a language Elena didn't recognise, to the shop keeper. She looked over at Elena and smiled. Her smile seemed to be genuine and Elena felt herself relax a little at the warmer greeting.

"Come here child, you poor thing let me have a look at you." The woman spoke perfect English, with a slight southern drawl. She must be a local. Elena walked forward, noticing the shop keeper backing away as she did so.

"My name is Rebbi. Please take a seat." She instructed and Elena sat down at the table. At this point Rebbi noticed Charlotte lingering in the doorway and she smiled in greeting. "Charlotte, how wonderful to see you again! I assume that you brought our guest?"

"She needs your help like I did." Charlotte said with affection in her voice. Elena was shocked into silence by this insight into Charlotte's relationship with this woman. Charlotte had described the treatment for breaking the bond as being torturous and yet she seemed to have a fondness for this witch. Rebbi turned back to Elena and searched her face, leaving Elena feeling slightly unnerved and exposed.

"You have been sired by the same vampire?" She asked. Elena gasped before she could stop herself. How could this woman possibly know that? Rebbi nodded her head pleased that her deduction had proven accurate. She placed her hand on Elena's over the table. "Don't worry. I can help you with that. Charlotte is my best achievement of breaking the sire bond connection and I can feel that you will break yours too."

"What do we have to do to break it?" Elena asked carefully, wanting to make sure she knew exactly what was going to happen to her. She searched the woman for signs of deviance, but couldn't see past the smile and look of concern the woman had for her.

"It is slightly different for everybody. You have to trust me and trust yourself." The woman replied, not breaking eye contact with her.

"Charlotte said that all the others have died after doing this." Elena felt every word stab at her as she uttered them but she had to know. Rebbi's smile didn't falter, but her hold on Elena's hand tightened in a squeeze.

"It takes a strong will to be able to do this. Others have come and believed they wanted to break the bond and once they had they became conflicted over their desires. Unfortunately, once they leave me there is little I can do to help them decide what they do with their lives now that they have them back. For some weaker minds, it becomes too much to have free will again after having survived under someone else's' rule for so long." Rebbi explained and Elena nodded absentmindedly as she processed the information and considered how true her words could be. She could imagine how helpless someone would feel if they had always relied on someone else's desires to shape their behaviour and they suddenly had to decide on their own again. It would be frightening.

"I can see though that you are new to this aren't you? How long have you been a vampire?" Rebbi enquired.

"Not very long." Elena replied, not wanting to give up too much information to this stranger who seemed to be able to read her mind. Perhaps she had some psychic abilities like Bonnie. Rebbi nodded and released Elena's hand.

"That's wonderful, you will be in a much stronger position to get through this. Shall we start?"

Elena looked at her in surprise. She had thought there would be some negotiation over payment and other details.

"I need nothing from you other than your trust. A sire bond is a terrible infliction and I make it my responsibility to free others from it." Rebbi assured her as she motioned Charlotte towards the table.

"Why would you help vampires? Vampires upset the balance of nature for witches." Elena became defensive and suspicious again. Rebbi stopped in her motioning to Charlotte and stared Elena straight in the eyes.

"Not all witches hate vampires. The love of my life was a vampire and he was taken from me because of a sire bond." She explained no further as Elena sat back in her chair in fear that she had angered the woman. The woman showed no such indication but her words had been final and full of emotion. Elena considered the woman's story and thought of Bree and how much she had fallen for Damon and accepted his nature. Elena gave the woman a small smile of apology and Rebbi nodded at her in acceptance.

"Now I am not going to lie to you, this will be painful. Your body and mind are going to be at war with each other for dominance and you are going to have to fight through it if you are going to be successful." Elena gulped, feeling the fear return to grasp her again. "Charlotte, you know the drill." The woman said and Charlotte exited the room with a purpose, returning a moment later with chains and manacles. Elena looked at them in horror, suddenly feeling very unsure of whether she could do this. The woman picked up on her change in attitude and stood up to face her.

"Be strong and trust me. These are for your protection, nothing more. You will experience hallucinations that might make you want to injure yourself or me, so these binds will help stop that." Elena couldn't reign in the horror she was feeling at the sight of the chains. Suddenly she was reminded of Klaus locking her away in that room for her _own protection_, when she had killed the hunter. The hallucinations she had experienced had felt so real, she didn't know if she could go through that again. This time Damon wouldn't be here to save her from herself. Her body was screaming at her to run, to find another way to do this!

"Elena!" Charlotte growled, bringing Elena back to the present. Charlotte's stance was one of a predatory nature. Charlotte intended to make her go through with this to serve her interests, there was no way Elena was leaving now. With tears in her eyes Elena allowed herself to be led by Rebbi towards Charlotte as they shackled her up tight and lowered her into a sitting position on the ground. Elena looked up at their faces in fear as she tried to block out the thought circling around in her head that their faces were the last she was ever going to see.

_Damon, I'm doing this for you_, she silently sent her thoughts out to the universe hoping that somehow he would hear her.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

"Damon! Damon are you kidding me?!" Stefan shouted, trying to grab a hold of Damon's arm as he threw his suitcase in the trunk of the Camaro. Damon jolted his arm out of Stefan's reach and glared at him with eyes of fire, before continuing to load the car with his possessions.

"You can't leave Damon, we need you! Elena needs you, you can't just run away and pretend this isn't happening!" Stefan spat out at him, becoming more frantic at Damon's continued silence. He hadn't spoken a word to Stefan all morning, but his eyes said everything that he couldn't. He was broken and the only way he knew how to deal with the pain was to leave. Stefan had seen this reaction in him before many times and it was generally followed by carnage and depravity. Strange thing was that Stefan wasn't so concerned about that. He was more worried about what would happen to all of them if they didn't have Damon on their side to help them. Controlling Jeremy was only going to get harder, since Stefan had forced him to kill a newborn vampire today and he had almost staked him. None of them knew what they were getting into and Stefan needed his big brother now more than ever. Damon continued to ignore him as Stefan stood helpless to intervene. He had to do something, he couldn't let him leave. He followed Damon's movements around to the front of the car, sliding his hand along the side as he went. Damon tried to move around him, but Stefan barred his way using his body as a barrier. Damon huffed angrily and looked at Stefan's face. Stefan could tell he had a finite level of patience today.

"Please brother. I need you to stay." Stefan uttered calmly, beseechingly as Damon stared on. Damon's expression remained harder than ever.

"It never matters to you what I want does it? It never has." Damon accused, keeping his voice tight but low. He sounded like he had no fight left in him, like he was tired. Stefan carefully placed his hand on his brother's shoulder gently.

"This isn't about what you or I want anymore brother. It's about what she needs."

"It's always about what she needs isn't it? Always." Damon's voice was cold as he spoke, worrying Stefan further. "I can't do this anymore." Stefan felt a cold shiver creep over his skin, raising goose bumps as he contemplated the irony of his own words being mirrored back to him. He had used those words when he had thrown the towel in with Elena and now his brother was using them for the same purpose.

"You don't mean that." Stefan gave his shoulder a small squeeze and searched Damon's eyes looking for a glimmer of hope.

"I gave her back to you, now you can go and live out whatever is left of your lives together before some other big bad comes and kills all of you. If I were you, I would take Elena and get the hell out of here." Damon shrugged Stefan's hand off of his shoulder and stepped into his car. He closed the door with a slam and pulled away from the driveway, intending to put as much distance between himself and Mystic Falls as physically possible, leaving Stefan standing with his mouth open and an outstretched hand.

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"What's happening?! What have you done?!" Elena called out as darkness descended upon her. Even with her new senses she couldn't see anything. "Charlotte? Rebbi?" Elena stretched out her hands to feel for the walls around her, trying to get her bearings. She had always hated the dark. She could feel the urge to cry out, begin to invade her senses but she closed her eyes and took a breath. _Think of Damon_. She tried to picture him, his eyes so intensely blue and deep set into his perfect alabaster face, the way his hair would fall into his eyes when he was animated, the quirk of his top lip when he thought he was being a smart ass. She smiled to herself recalling how many times she had wanted to slap that grin right off of his face, just to see the shock that would replace it.

She heard movement to the right side of her and she opened her eyes. The reality of darkness hit her at that moment. It didn't seem to make any difference if she had her eyes open or not, there was just blackness. It was unnerving. She felt like prey to some monster hiding in the dark and she was supposed to be the predator now.

"Hello?" She called out but got no response. She turned her body in the direction of where the sound had come from and bumped into something hard. She let out a gasp and put her hands up in front of her to feel what she had connected with. It was something long and curved. Something smooth. She continued to follow up the surface, wondering what on earth it could be when she touched what felt like hair. Just as she touched it the object moved and she fell back with a scream as she realised it was another person. She stumbled backwards falling, when she felt arms pull at her, holding her from the ground. She screamed again in fear and tried to put her hands up to protect her face as the figure holding her pulled her closer.

"Elena?" The voice whispered raggedly, almost as though the person hadn't used their voice for a long time.

"No, please let me go!" She cried out, not registering the use of her name. The arms holding her relaxed slightly.

"Elena you can't be here." The voice sounded so weak and broken. It stopped her from fidgeting in her tracks as she tried to make out why the voice was so familiar. She put her hands out towards the head of the figure she still couldn't see, to touch the face. It was definitely a man as he was well built and muscular.

"Who are you?" She asked weakly, cursing her lack of sight. She had never realised how much she had relied on that sense before now. The figure tilted his head down into her hands, kissing them and giving out a sob as he did so. She felt his hair fall into his eyes and found herself sweeping it away casually as she had done a thousand times in the past few days, before she realised who she was with.

"Damon?!" She gasped, tilting his head downwards to touch his face. She traced the contours, his cheekbones, his jaw line, his full plump bottom lip and she knew it was him. But how? "Damon!" She cried in relief as she threw herself into his arms and cried for a moment, so relieved he had come for her. He must have arrived just in time to stop the witch and Charlotte from doing anything to hurt her. She must have been knocked out or vervained or something to have missed the commotion. She held him tightly, kissing the crook in his neck and thanking the universe that he was here to save her like always. He held her in his arms but didn't respond to her enquiry as to how he had found her. She pulled her face back from his, still unable to see him properly, but the more she concentrated, the more light began to trickle into her vision until she could see his face once more. She swept his hair back behind his ear and leant in to kiss his lips, but he let her go.

"Damon?" She said tentatively. "What's wrong?" He looked at her, with the strangest look in his eyes. She felt fear creep around her, like a tiger stalking her in the corner of the room.

"You can't be here. You have to leave." He said slowly, making the hair on the back of her neck rise. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting so strangely?

"I know I'm sorry I came here but I wanted to show you that it isn't just the sire bond that makes me feel this way. It doesn't control me like you think it does and I can break it." Elena stepped forward into his space again as he watched her. Was that fear she saw in his eyes?

"You said you wouldn't do this to me anymore." He whispered his face blank.

"What are you talking about?" She asked trying to take his face in her hands again, but he moved back to dissuade her from touching him again.

"You said you wouldn't hurt me anymore." His voice became a little sharper and she felt herself grow weary. He sounded unhinged.

"I would never hurt you. Damon, it's ok." She frowned trying to calm him as she watched him begin to fidget and become nervous. This was a side to him she'd never seen before.

"All you've ever done is hurt me Elena. It's what you do!" He had a hint of venom in his voice and she felt herself reel from the change in his tone.

"What's happened to you?" She asked, trying to sound calm and not as concerned as she felt. His mouth became a thin line and his jaw tightened. He was holding back. She longed to hold him and figure out what was happening. He couldn't be that mad that she had run away to cure herself of this bond.

"You happened! You and your stupid sire bond! You've torn me to pieces, you've ripped my heart out!" He shouted and his voice bounced off the walls of the small enclosure in such a way as to deafen her momentarily. She put her hands over her ears in surprise and took a step back from him. He became shaded from her again and she couldn't see his expression anymore.

"I'm here to break the bond so we can be together. I can do it Damon. I can do it for us!"

"You made me like this! You made me stay with you knowing that I would screw with your mind, knowing that I couldn't help myself and that it would kill me! You kept me under your thumb never caring what it did to me!" He was becoming aggressive now and she felt herself start to shake as tears started to fill her weak vision.

" Damon please!" She cried, backing up against the wall as he approached her, his eyes alien and blazing.

"You killed me Elena. You knew I couldn't give you up so you made me keep you despite the bond. You made me destroy both of us!" He growled now and she pressed herself into the cold bricks behind her. Was he going to hurt her? Where was Charlotte, where were the other two women from the shop? Why was he saying these things? His fangs glinted as he growled again. She knew without a doubt that he meant to harm her now. He had shown his fangs before but even when he had bitten her when they had been fighting locked up in his room, she had still known that he was Damon inside. Right now, aside from his looks, she saw no sign of the Damon she knew within him so she screamed for help, hoping that there was still someone out there to hear her.

He began to close the distance and she braced herself for pain, when she heard a voice whisper in her ear.

"Do it child." The voice spoke gently, encouraging her hand to open. Elena glanced down, actually able to see her hands, unlike the rest of the room, to see a wooden stake in her hand. _No! _She screamed in her head. She wouldn't hurt him, even if he was going mad. She glanced up at his expression and inhaled sharply as she saw the veins under his eyes bulge, ready to attack.

"Do it now!" The voice shouted to her this time and she screamed as he darted towards her and she shoved the stake right through his heart. She continued to scream as he moved further into her, falling against her in a slump. She caught him as he began to fall to the ground.

"Damon?! Damon!" She screamed, turning him over so that she could check him over. He stared up at her confused as he began to turn a shade of grey. She shook him frantically calling out his name as she watched the grey colour trace up to his face from the wound in his chest. A single tear fell from his eyes as the grey colour invaded them, robbing her of the beautiful blue glow she so loved.

"No! No!" She screamed holding him against her. What had she done? She began to cry in gasps as she felt the strength and form of his body sag. She looked around wildly, searching for her jacket and cell phone. She had to call Stefan, maybe there was something Bonnie could do to bring him back! She looked up sharply as she heard the same voice from a few moments ago speak.

"The only way to break the bond is to kill him."


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23&

"Please help me save him!" Elena cried, rocking Damon's cold body in her arms as she begged.

"He will kill you child." Rebbie said scrutinising Elena's hold on the lifeless Damon. Elena sobbed and kissed his forehead.

"No! He would never hurt me! You don't know him!" Elena cried as Rebbie looked on observing. Suddenly the dark descended upon Elena again and she gasped in alarm. She yelped in surprise as Damon's body vanished from her arms. It wasn't real, none of it was real. The light returned to the room and she saw that she was back in the back of the shop with Rebbie and Charlotte who was drawing her a look of fury. Had they witnessed everything that she had?

"He has a strong emotional hold over you, your sire." Rebbie stated. "Let him go child, you are here to save yourself." Elena looked up at her confused as she spoke. How could the woman ever think that Elena could just leave Damon to save herself? She might be a vampire but it didn't change the fact that Elena would sacrifice everything, even her life, for the people she loved and she loved Damon. She was surer of it now than ever. She wasn't sure how to respond, given the level of jealousy and hatred emanating from Charlotte.

"Is this what's going to happen? You are going to create hallucinations where he tries to hurt me, because that isn't going to work. I've recently had my fair share of hallucinations and Damon would never hurt me." Elena was beginning to wonder if this was going to work. If this was all this woman had to try to train her out of her sire bond, it would be useless. Perhaps she knew Damon too well and that was the problem. That first hallucination had taken her by surprise but it wouldn't work a second time. A small part of her sighed inside as she realised that it hadn't been real, she hadn't killed Damon.

"That was just the beginning child. I had to test how far your loyalties to him went and I see now that this isn't going to be easy. You know him intimately, more so than a normal fledgling vampire would. You are going to have to trust me and do as I say." Rebbie spoke pointedly at Elena and Elena shivered, wondering exactly what this woman had in store for her. Charlotte growled in the corner and Rebbie turned to appraise her.

"Charlotte, we no longer need you here. Go." Charlotte looked at the woman seeming slightly hurt and confused but she retreated from the room and Elena listened to ensure that she left the shop entirely. As the outside door to the shop closed and she heard Charlotte's car pull away she let out a breath that she hadn't realised she'd been holding. She couldn't believe that she'd actually asked Charlotte to accompany her in here, what had she been thinking? Elena turned her attention back to Rebbie.

"I love Damon. I have loved him since before I became a vampire and I know that what I feel for him will stay with me no matter what we do here, but I have to know that I can withstand this bond between us. Are my feelings going to make this impossible?" Elena didn't want to know the answer but she had to. If her feelings of love would prevent any chance of this working then she should cut and run and just try and find another way to appease Damon's sense of responsibility and guilt. The woman listened intently to Elena's profession of love and sighed.

"It will pose a challenge to you, but I think you are strong enough to get through this. If you really love him as much as you believe you do, then you have to focus on that being a reason to survive this."

Dread crept up Elena's arms at the mention of the word 'survive'. She blinked, squeezing her tired eyes shut for a moment and nodded. She needed to crack on and get this over with so she could go home to her friends, her brother and to Damon. Rebbie patted her lightly on the arm and encouraged her to sit down once more.

"We will start with negative reinforcement." Rebbie said and Elena closed her eyes in anticipation. It only took mere seconds before she was hit by such an intense feeling of pain that she screamed out and threw herself back into the stone wall behind her.

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Caroline really felt like an idiot. She had been standing banging on Elena's door for a full five minutes now, hoping that Elena's was inside and simply just ignoring her, but the longer she stood there, the more uneasy she felt. Elena still wasn't answering her calls, in fact they were going straight through to voicemail now. She didn't know what to do. Against her better judgement she hastily typed in Damon's number and pressed call. His cell rang and rang and then clipped off. Son of a bitch! She shouted inwardly. Why was everyone cutting her off today? She let out a snarl of frustration and gave up, deciding to call Stefan. Whatever Elena and Damon were doing, she was sure that Stefan didn't want to be apprised of, but she had to find Elena and talk to her.

"Caroline." Stefan's voice sounded strange.

"Hi, are you ok, you sound funny?" Caroline began walking back towards her car, which she had left parked half way across the Gilbert drive in her hurry to get to Elena and apologise. Stefan sighed sadly down the phone and Caroline vamp sped to her car in concern, not caring if the neighbours saw her.

"Damon's left Caroline. He's gone." Stefan sounded so resigned.

"What do you mean he's gone? Gone where? Did he take Elena with him?" Caroline's heart began to speed at his words and she found herself driving faster than she normally would down the road. Luckily her mom was the Sheriff so speeding tickets weren't so much of a worry these days.

"What? No. He set Elena free and he didn't want to be here anymore to watch. What are you talking about?" He sounded sad but frustrated.

"But…" Caroline mumbled confused, "I've been trying to call Elena for hours and she's not at home. Where is she?" Caroline had called Bonnie earlier, hoping Elena might have spoken to her, at least Bonnie was in Elena's good books right now, but Bonnie hadn't seen or heard from her for a couple of days either. Panic started to wash over her as she tried to play out several scenarios in her head. Could Damon have lied and have arranged for he and Elena to leave so no one would stop them? Was Elena lying somewhere hurt or worse?

"Did you try Bonnie? We aren't exactly in Elena's good books right now." Stefan reminded her, still unfazed.

"Something's wrong Stefan. I have a bad feeling. Bonnie hasn't seen her for days." Finally that seemed to get his attention.

"I'll call Jeremy, maybe she's with him."

"He's at the lake house with Bonnie remember? Stefan, what if something's…"

"Don't go there Caroline, she'll be fine. We just have to find her. I'll call Damon and see if he knows where she is."

"I tried to call him but he hung up on me."

"I will keep trying. He can't ignore me forever." Stefan sighed, realising that he would probably get the same reception from Damon.

"You don't think…" Caroline stopped feeling slightly silly for thinking of it.

"What?" Stefan pushed.

"You don't think maybe Klaus has taken her?"

"Why would he do that? She wasn't in any danger from hunters and she wasn't going to run. She wants the cure as much as he wants it for her." Stefan reasoned.

"But does she actually want it."

"What?"

"Have you asked her? I mean, if she thought that becoming human might get rid of her feelings for Damon, would she do it?" Caroline brain was doing back flips trying to put herself in Elena's shoes.

Stefan was silent for a minute, contemplating her comments. "I'll call Damon. Call me if you hear anything." Then he hung up without giving her a chance to finish her thought process. She sat back into her seat biting her lip. After what Tyler had said, she could imagine how much hurt and anger Elena would feel towards them and truth was, even if what she felt for Tyler was due to some magic bond, she would fight to protect her feelings for him because no matter what they were, they would be real for her. Maybe Klaus had seen this coming. Maybe he had figured Elena would change her mind about becoming human and he had decided to ensure that he would get his way. Caroline tried not to grind her teeth, thinking on how easily Klaus would grab and restrain Elena if he wanted to. Before she could really think of a plan, she hit the accelerator heading towards his mansion.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24&

Damon's head buzzed uncomfortably as he tried to focus on the road ahead of him. Where was he going to go? Hell, he had thought about leaving Mystic Falls before but he'd never managed it. Somehow she had always managed to keep him there one way or another, but this time he had to leave. It was still for her sake. He laughed at himself at the irony of it. Everything was for her. Every decision he had made in the last two years, every thought in his head, every beat of his heart - his tattered, useless heart. _This is what happens to you when you let your guard down, when you let her in you fool! _ He shook his head. What did he expect to happen? That he and Elena were going to get a happy ever after? That was never going to happen because he never got a happy ever after. He rarely even got an ever after - just pain and misery.

His cell buzzed beside him and he huffed in annoyance. He was going to have to throw it away, yet something deep in his gut wanted him to keep it – this lifeline, this line back to her. He clenched his teeth as another wave of pain rolled over him. She would never forgive him for telling her to go. He could still see her face as she told him she hated him. He had never seen her like that before. He had never seen such hate and emotion in her eyes. He had to blank it out. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to dispel the image. His cell rang again next to him. He looked down at the screen and seen Stefan's caller ID.

Stefan was an idiot to think that he could continue to take the continuous pounding of hate and pain that everyone caused or directed at him. Stefan was used to Damon being a shield for everything terrible, well not anymore. He was done. Finally Stefan would have to face his own demons, decisions and mistakes. Stefan had forced him to do that to Elena. Damon would have found another way to do it, together they would have worked it out like they had planned, like they had promised each other they would but Stefan had to waltz in and ruin everything. This was on him just as much as it was on Damon and for a change Damon's absence would bring Stefan to court on it. It was all too easy to use big brother for deflection.

Damon grunted, clicking the cell onto silent so he didn't have to hear the incessant buzzing of Stefan's guilty conscience anymore. He glanced down to check if all of the calls had been from Stefan when he hit something which made him swerve into the side of the road and crash his head against the dash. Blackness…

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"Are you telling me the truth or are you lying to me?!" Caroline folded her arms around herself sternly as she drew Klaus the steely expression she could muster. Klaus as usual leaned casually into his chair watching her with fascination.

"I assure you love, Elena isn't here. Why don't you ask the elder Salvatore, I'm sure he's acquainted with Ms Gilberts' whereabouts?" He smiled mischievously and took a sip of his wine as he batted his eyelashes at her provocatively.

"Damon's left town and we can't find Elena. I swear to god, if you have her somewhere…" Caroline straightened her posture trying to make herself seem threatening, why was it that she felt like she could intimidate him when everyone else made her feel weaker? He could kill her in a second and yet she felt strong around him, able to stand up to him.

"I don't." He snipped at her, silencing her half way through her sentence. His expression changed to one of weariness. "Where has Damon gone?"

"We don't know, he just up and left today. He won't answer calls." Caroline said a little quieter since his tone had sharpened suddenly but still holding her stance proudly.

"Am I to take it that there's been trouble in paradise?" Klaus seemed a little playful once more and Caroline relaxed her shoulders slightly. She didn't want to tell him anything. She felt angry with him, even though none of this was his fault in actuality. He had simply draw their attention to the fact that there was a sire bond at work, he hadn't created it, so why did she feel like it was still his fault somehow? He watched for her response and when she remained looking at him blankly he nodded his head and sighed.

"I see. Young Mr Salvatore made his mark on the matter and put an end to his brothers' little affair. That must have gone down well with Damon."

"He set her free." Caroline confessed as she breathed a sigh of guilt and regret. She tried to keep her feelings guarded from him but somehow he always knew when she was upset. Before she could blink he was at her side.

"Sire bonds are tricky things Caroline. It's hard to know how much is free will. I'm sure you did what you thought was right." Why was he consoling her and how did he know that she had played a part? She looked up into his face confused and overwhelmed by his proximity. He wasn't touching her and yet the electricity coming off of his body made her feel like she could pop. His gaze was so intense that she had to interrupt the line of thought to bring her back to earth again.

"Well, if she isn't here then where is she?" That did it. Klaus blinked and stepped back from her, a contemplative look on his face.

"She's definitely not with Damon?" He pushed. She shook her head, holding herself as the panic started to invade her again.

"Then we best get onto finding her then." He turned heading for the door. Caroline blinked in surprise at his sudden change in demeanour and followed him to the door. He held the door open for her, bowing slightly like a gentleman. She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation at him as he did so and he smiled, letting her walk through the door towards her car. He followed her closely as she approached her car and she turned looking at him suspiciously.

"You're not driving with me." She stated bluntly, eyeing him for signs of anger. He still had that stupid smile on his face as if he knew something that she wasn't a party too. She huffed at him, feeling herself wind up inside, he always knew how to press her buttons – why did she let him?

"I don't drive love, I have people to do that for me." He shrugged casually, smiling at her expectantly.

"And why exactly should I drive you?" Caroline fumed, only encouraging his smile to grow wider.

"Because your friend is missing and I have contacts. You need me." He leaned towards her giving her a devilish smile and he enjoyed the expression of fury that crossed her face. She opened her door and got inside slamming it forcefully. He chuckled to himself as he climbed in the passenger side.

"So where are we going?" Caroline asked through her gritted teeth.

"First let's see what your witch can find out. If she can't help, I'll rouse the big guns." He chuckled watching her put her seatbelt on. Such a human habit that she did not now require to do.

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"Damon will you please answer the phone? Damon, Elena is missing!" Stefan's voice escalated with fear in each of the voicemails he left on Damon's cell. Damon had to check them eventually. Surely the curiosity would kill him and he would check? He used to think he knew exactly what went on in Damon's mind, he could determine what Damon would do, but lately he had changed. Since Elena's transition, Damon had surprised him in so many ways. Stefan tried to stifle the worry that Damon was really gone forever, trying to hold onto the hope that he would come back to check Elena was ok. Caroline's words came back to him as he held the phone to his chest trying to calm down.

What if Elena had left town because she had felt so betrayed by them all? Stefan shook his head, unwilling to believe that Elena would do that. She wouldn't leave Jeremy. Something must have happened to her. His eyes sprang open as the phone started to wring in his hand.

"Damon?" He asked in vain hope.

"You're onto wishful thinking now are you and here I thought the Salvatore bond was unbreakable?"

"Klaus." Stefan ground his teeth together. He had taken a lot of crap today, he wasn't going to be stirred by Klaus too. "What do you want?" He asked harshly.

"Give me that! Stefan it's me." Caroline sounded just as wound up and aggravated as he did. "We are at Bonnie's. She's going to do a locator spell, but I didn't bring anything of Elena's, can you bring something of hers over here?"

"What's Klaus doing there?" Stefan asked alarmed at his inclusion. Caroline sighed.

"He's...helping." She said begrudgingly.

"What?"

"Stefan can you just hurry please?"

"Ok." Stefan hung up and ran up to his room. He moved to his dressing table when he stopped in his tracks, realising that he didn't have any of Elena's things in here now. Not since… He let out a mournful sigh and shook his head feeling annoyed at his own stupidity. Elena was with Damon now, or she had been and that meant that she had removed her belongings. Stefan didn't want to consider where they might be but he was beaten down by logic. Elena and Damon had been sleeping together. She would have put her things in Damon's room now. Stefan swallowed a gulp of bile rising in his throat as he began a sombre walk down the hallway to Damon's bedroom. He opened the door and stepped inside, feeling hugely uncomfortable. Damon had taken most of his things with him, even more than he usually did when he left the house to wander the world for 50 years at a time. It was the nail in the coffin so to speak, as Stefan gazed around. It was now resolutely, unshakeably clear that Damon intended not to come back here for a very long time. Stefan moved towards Damon's bathroom, noticing a hairbrush lying discarded next to the sink. It was Elena's. Part of him wondered why Damon wouldn't have taken something of hers with him, that's what he would have done, but then again Damon was running away. He probably didn't want any reminder of her. For the first time all day Stefan gasped in pain, thinking on the pain that Damon must be feeling. It was so easy to forget that Damon had feelings to hurt. Stefan's phone buzzed in his pocket and he lifted it out, checking the screen.

_Hurry up before I try and stake him myself!_

Stefan smiled at Caroline's fire. He grabbed the brush trying not to dwell too much on it anymore and hurried out to his car.

When he got to Bonnie's everyone was arguing. He entered the house feeling as though he was an unwelcome guest in the very tense atmosphere. He felt his skin practically prickle in response. Bonnie was livid and staring hard at Caroline, who was sitting looking rather dishevelled and guilty. Klaus was standing leaning casually against the wall, almost amused by the scene before him.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked sheepishly as all eyes turned to him.

"Caroline was just enlightening us to how well you and your brother handled the sire bond situation with Elena." Klaus said in a mocking but light tone. Stefan clenched his jaw. He wasn't going to talk about this, this was between he, Elena and Damon.

"How could you Stefan?" Bonnie shook her head, having dispelled her fury at Caroline she now looked tired and disappointed.

"What do you mean?" He asked tightly, defensively.

"We don't even know enough about what this sire bond means for them and you made him cut her out?"

"It had to be done Bonnie, did you want Elena walking around doing whatever Damon wanted like a zombie?"

"You don't know that that's what would have happened. It wasn't your choice to make."

"I'm sorry but this is none of your business Bonnie. It's between me, Damon and Elena. I did what I thought was right for Elena and so did Damon. Now we all have to live with the consequences." Stefan stood his ground. End of conversation.

"And consequences there are - Damon has left, Elena is missing...tell me how do you think you have made their situation better?" Bonnie asked beginning to become vexed again. Caroline gave out a small sob into her hands, distracting everyone from the heated debate.

"Take it easy love." Klaus said gently in Caroline's direction, reminding Stefan of his presence.

"And what are you doing here?" Stefan snapped.

"My doppelganger is missing. Searching for the cure is a bit pointless if I don't have my vampire test-case now isn't it?" Stefan took a step toward him in anger but Klaus stood up from the wall, giving him a daring look that stopped Stefan in his tracks.

"Stop everyone, we have to find Elena. We have to make this right." Caroline said, wiping away some stray tears. Stefan frowned at her use of words but didn't question her any further. Bonnie offered her hand out to Stefan and he placed Elena's hairbrush into her palm. She took it over to her table and cast her locator spell over the map. Blood was an easier element to channel for this spell but Jeremy was at the lake-house with the professor and they didn't have time.

Everyone looked on in wonder as Bonnie recited her spell, watching as a part of the map began to glow. Bonnie looked down with a smile of relief as she looked down at the glowing spot over New Orleans.

"Why would she be in New Orleans?" Caroline said puzzled, standing up to look more carefully at the map. She looked up at Stefan who had gone pale as a ghost. "Stefan?"

"Oh my god." He whispered, closing his eyes in anguish. Everyone stepped towards him. He opened his eyes and looked at Caroline frantically. "Charlotte!"


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25&

"Please Damon, help!" Elena cried, sagging against the wall exhausted by the pain shooting through her body like an electrical charge, as Damon stood watching her.

"Stand up and look at me." He said without feeling as she implored to him with her eyes. She tried to stand up, managing to get onto her feet before the pain knocked her down again and she screamed into her hands, curling up on the ground. She couldn't take this much more.

"Rebbie please!" Elena called out, trying not to look at the figure of Damon standing emotionless before her.

"You have to fight the urge Elena!" Elena heard the voice, trying to grasp the meaning behind it as she felt the last cycle of pain roll off of her. She hated pain and this had been never ending. She didn't think she could do this anymore.

"I can't." She sobbed.

"He will kill you if you don't learn to defy him!" Rebbie's voice became shrill and urgent, snapping Elena to attention as she looked up at Damon again. She knew it wasn't Damon, but it was so hard not to believe that it was him considering his physical presence here. He even smelled like Damon, her Damon, but this shadow of him was unfeeling and cruel. He merely gave her instructions and when she did as she was told, even when she tried with all of her might not to, he inflicted such pain upon her that she thought she was going to black out.

"Damon." She sobbed hopelessly, not understanding why she still felt like she was attached to this hallucination. "I love you."

"Kiss me Elena." His lips moved just likes Damon's. His voice a velvety purr, drawing her attention to her groin. His expression was different, almost sentient and for a moment the spell he was casting made it seem real. She was up on her feet before she knew what was happening, then she looked into his eyes. His gaze was soft and imploring, she felt her heart start to quicken.

"Fight it child!" She heard Rebbie shout and she jumped at the volume of it. She could feel her body begin to succumb to the desire to hold him, to kiss his lips and breathe him in, when she bit her lip. The pain, the pain would come and it would be worse this time. Elena stifled a sob as she felt herself torn between her desire to kiss him and her desire not to be harmed again. She couldn't take any more pain, she couldn't! She began to sob frustrated as she fought her own body, as though she were a puppet being controlled by someone else. She screamed in frustration and anger at her vulnerability and found that screaming actually made her feel better, more in control. She looked up at him and he stepped closer to her, smelling all Damon-y and flushed with desire for her. She choked on a sob as she screamed at him.

"No!" She closed her eyes and awaited pain, pain and unconsciousness, but it didn't come. She opened her eyes and he was gone.

"Damon?" She called out breathing harshly, feeling as though she had run a marathon.

"Well done child!" She heard Rebbie's voice beam. Elena sagged against the wall, still unsure of why she still couldn't see the shop room they were actually in. Why hadn't her vision returned to normal?

"Is it finished?" Elena called out, feeling anxious but there was no reply. Elena's heart quickened as she looked around frantically, waiting for the hallucination to end. She felt a breath behind her neck and whipped around in surprise to see Damon with a murderous look on his face.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted at her, grabbing her arm. "Why the hell would you come here with Charlotte? I've been worried out of my mind!"

"Damon?" Elena peered into his face, looking for anything out of place, anything that meant he wasn't real. He glared at her, his nostrils flaring. It was really him!

"How did you find me?" She asked, throwing herself into his arms into a tight hug. He squeezed her back but she could fell the anger rolling off of him.

"Charlotte!" He snapped at her, stroking her back.

"Damon, I'm sorry I had to try and break this bond. I don't want to leave you." She began to sob into his shoulder, so glad to see him.

"I never would have let you do this!" He growled and she laughed hugging him tighter in mirth. "Let's get out of here." He said, releasing her from the bear hug she'd been in. She stopped him when he pulled at her to follow. He raised his eyebrows at her confused.

"I can't. I don't know if I've broken the sire bond yet." She explained, feeling a wave of nausea come upon her. He looked mad, but she had been through some much over the past few days, if she left now it would all have been for nothing.

"Don't be an idiot Elena, you're not staying here. We are leaving now!" Damon put on his usual I'm-right-and-you're-wrong face and tried to pull her again but she wouldn't budge. He looked down at her threateningly, sending waves of fear into her – she had been looking at the face of his hallucinatory figure for days torturing her and this brought back her feelings of being trapped and frightened. He pulled back seeing her fear and seemed to calm visibly.

"Elena, it will make me very unhappy if you stay here. I want you to come home with me." He said carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. Her fear turned into anger in an instant. He was doing it again! He was using the bond against her!

"No! I am going to stay Damon and if you don't like it you can go!" She shouted with more anger than she meant. He stepped back surprised and wounded by her unexpected outburst. She felt herself vibrate with anger and pride. She was Elena Gilbert and she was master of her own mind! Right before her eyes he disappeared once more. Elena laughed a strange strangled laugh, unsure of whether it was because she was happy, relieved or upset. It hadn't really been him again. It was getting harder and harder to tell. She put her head in her hands and tried to control her desperate breathing. It was getting impossible to tell whether the hallucinations were real or not, but at least she was managing to go against what this shadow Damon wanted her to do. It was all a big test to see if she could withstand his commands and she knew she was winning. She looked up into the room again, surprised that she still couldn't see the store room she knew that they were in. What was going to happen now?

Elena took a step forward, hoping to prepare herself for another Damon trick when she felt something hard hit her head from behind. She fell over dizzy and confused and then everything went black.

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"Aoowwww!" Damon moaned clutching his head as he tried to raise himself from the dashboard. What the hell happened? He blinked a few times trying to focus his eyes. He'd hit something and lost control of the car, it wasn't like him, his reflexes were normally much faster in situations like these. He lifted his head fully, feeling the gash on his head close as he sat up. The car was bashed in at the front. No, no, no! He reached for the handle and dove outside to review the damage. He loved this car! He ran his hands over the dented front and grunted in dismay and annoyance. He would have to leave her here and have her towed. He was deep in thought as to where the nearest garage would be when he heard a delighted giggle.

He stood up abruptly looking in the direction of the voice.

"Hello?" He said exasperated and annoyed. He was in no mood for this. A flash of colour blurred towards him and sent him flying onto the ground with something pinning him to the ground. He coughed, returning the air to his lungs and opened his eyes in shock.

"Charlotte?" He gasped as she wriggled on top of him, kissing his face. She leant down and planted a kiss on his mouth and he pushed at her. What the hell? He threw her off and stood up, brushing himself off, feeling slightly violated. She stood before him grinning and carefree.

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave and never think of me again!" He barked at her. Her smile faded.

"Why?" She whispered.

"What?" He asked in complete confusion.

"Why did you command me to do those things? Was it because of her?" Charlotte began playing with her hair like a girl would. It was unnerving considering she was at least 90 years old.

"I told you, I can only be happy if you leave and never think of me again." Damon tried to sound gentler as though he were talking to a child. Everything about her body language suggested to him that that was where she had repressed her emotional state to. Charlotte giggled and shook her head.

"But I don't want to, so I won't." She blurred up to him and put her arms around his neck. He leaned his head back, trying to put distance between their mouths.

"But, I want you to. You must Charlotte." He reiterated, trying to understand what he was saying wrong. Why was she defying him? He looked at her puzzled and she laughed again, kissing his neck. His squirmed away from her and she sighed annoyed.

"I don't have to do what you tell me anymore. I can be yours again." She said triumphantly.

"What are you talking about? You do what I tell you, do you understand?" He put on his most menacing stance and she shrank down in fear of him.

"Don't you want me?" She peered up at him like a lost child.

"No." He said through gritted teeth as tears fell from her eyes. She let out a loud scream that startled him and she threw herself at him, fangs bared. He caught her as she bit his neck, causing them to fall over.

"If I can't have you then neither will she!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, beating against him with her fists and snapping at him with her teeth. He grabbed her hands and twisted them around her back, breaking both wrists as he did so. He'd had enough of this crap! He should have just killed her years ago and been done with it, then Stefan wouldn't have been able to bring her to the house and terrify Elena. All of this could have been avoided. He felt his rage consume him, he threw her to the ground next to him and knelt above her ready to rip her head from her shoulders once and for all.

"She'll never love you again!" Charlotte shouted, half mad from the pain and half mad from insanity. He stopped short of her throat and looked down at her breathing as though he'd run a marathon.

"What?!" He shouted at her. She closed her eyes and he thought she was going to cry. Instead she began to laugh hysterically. All of the hair stood up on his neck as he watched her, she was completely insane.

"She's going to hate you forever."

"What are you talking about?" Why the hell was he listening to her? He should just rip her head off!

"Rebbie is going to fix her and then you won't want her." Charlotte's smirk suddenly morphed into a mixture of hate and pleasure. "Elena's going to die, Elena's going to die!" Charlotte began to sing, taunting him.

"What have you done with Elena?" Damon's mind cast back suddenly to all those missed calls from Stefan. Shit, something was wrong! Why hadn't he just swallowed his pride and answered the phone? Charlotte giggled again and he smashed his hands down on either side of her head with such force that Charlotte snapped to attention and stared at him in fear. He growled his most terrifying growl, one that he reserved for Klaus ambushes and was thankful that it had the desired effect on her. She began to cry underneath him in terror.

"Please, I did it for you Damon, so we could be together. I love you more than she does."

"Where is she?" He growled baring his teeth at her. She flinched and continued to cry.

"I took her to the witch." Charlotte sniffled beneath his crushing hold on her. He stood up and pulled her roughly to her feet, pushing her towards his car. Dented or not he was going to drive this damn car if it killed him.

"Take me there." He commanded, pushing her into the car as he climbed in and started the groaning engine.


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26&

"Well, this is a new experience." Chimed Klaus cheerfully as everyone else looked on at the road ahead desperate to avoid conversation. Stefan was driving and Klaus had climbed in front despite Caroline's look of annoyance. None of them had spoken for at least half an hour. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"It's a shame you're little witch had better things to do." Klaus added, waiting for a response.

"You know why she couldn't come, she has to get back to Jeremy so he can be your stupid ultimate hunter!" Caroline snapped at him. Klaus smiled amused. Stefan kept himself in check, concentrating on the road.

"Are you sure that this Charlotte person is involved Stefan?" Caroline leant her chin on Stefan's shoulder rest.

"Charlotte is living in New Orleans apparently. I thought she had left Damon too easily." He mumbled solemly and paused for thought for a moment, "It's too much of a coincidence."

"You don't think she's…" Caroline gulped, "…hurt Elena do you?" Stefan didn't respond but his whole face tightened in what Caroline recognised as fear and apprehension. A few moments passed as Klaus continued to study Stefan from his seat. Caroline sat back realising Stefan was done talking about it.

"It's interesting to see the roles reversed isn't it?" Klaus said desperate to get a response from Stefan, whose hands were now clutching the wheel with such severity that the circulation had gone from his hands. As usual Caroline took the bait, she couldn't help herself.

"What are you talking about?" She snapped at him again, leaning forward in her seat so that she could look at him. He turned back to look at her jovially.

"Maybe there's not that much difference between us after all old friend."

"I'm nothing like you!" Stefan kept himself in control but laced his comment with hatred and disgust for good measure, not taking his eyes from the road.

"Really? So…you didn't just forcibly remove your girlfriend, I mean ex-girlfriend's, ability to make her own decisions? It was for her own good no doubt, but then I thought I was helping you too." Klaus chirped leaning further towards Stefan. Stefan growled.

"Klaus stop it!" Caroline yelled angrily.

"Really though, am I the only one that sees the irony here? I took your free will away and you still hate me for it and then you forced your weak hearted brother to do the same to Elena."

"Shut up!" Caroline punched him from where she was sitting in the back determined to get him to shut up and she stared warily at Stefan's expression in the rear view mirror.

"And I always thought that you were the better one for her well being and mental health. Maybe I was wrong."

"Stop!" Stefan screamed, baring his fangs and stopping the car so quickly they all flew forwards.

Caroline gasped short breaths as she collected herself. Klaus chuckled merrily, wiping blood from his face.

"You should wear your seat belt!" Caroline snapped and it made him laugh more. She looked over to Stefan who was breathing in gasps, leaning over the steering wheel. "Are you ok Stefan?"

"What did you mean earlier?" He said, his voice muffled by his arms as he continued to speak with his head lain on the wheel.

"When?" She asked, unsure of what he was talking about.

"When we were at Bonnie's. You said we had to fix things."

"I, I meant that we have to clear the air with Elena. Explain that we thought we were helping her." Caroline stuttered, confused by the anger in his tone. Klaus wasn't laughing anymore. He looked on out through the dashboard as though he wasn't listening.

"You think that we made a mistake?" Stefan looked back at her incredulously and a little betrayed.

"I think that we shouldn't have forced them until we had talked about it properly." Caroline felt herself flush. Why did she feel guilty that she was saying this to Stefan? Why did he look so aggrieved? Surely he must understand by now that what they did was wrong? He merely gaped at her.

"Stefan, Tyler explained it to me better. We thought we were protecting her but we made the decision for her, instead of letting her decide." She had tried to justify her actions to Bonnie but she had known her argument was empty as soon as she had seen the horrified look on Bonnie's face. Stefan turned back to face the road and started the engine up again. They began their journey again towards New Orleans, without any more conversation.

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"What did this witch do to cure you?" Damon asked through gritted teeth, making Charlotte squirm in her seat.

"She gave me bad dreams, there was pain when I was supposed to do something and blood." Charlotte whimpered holding herself.

"Blood?" He pushed her, turning to look at her angrily.

"She took most of it."

"What?!" Damon grabbed her arm as he shook her for an explanation. "What are you talking about?" Charlotte yelped as he grabbed her.

"She took my blood, said it was tainted by you and we had to get rid of it."

"She drained you?" He shouted incredulously, staring at her again. She nodded obediently. "Then what?"

"She left me till she was sure the blood was clean."

"And how long was that?"

"I don't know." Charlotte's eyes welled up with tears again and Damon sighed. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

"How long Charlotte?" He said a little more gently and released his hold on her arm.

"A few years."

"Years?!" Damon shouted, making Charlotte retreat into the seat away from him, petrified. He stepped on the gas and sped along, no longer aware of his passenger as he held his breath and heart still.

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Elena opened her eyes groggily, trying to focus. Her body felt so weak, she tried to sit up but felt like she couldn't. For a brief moment she wondered if she was asleep. She had experienced sleep paralysis several times where she couldn't move her arms and legs because they were still asleep while her mind ticked on. Is that was this was?

"Don't try to move child. You're nearly there." A voice spoke from somewhere near her but she couldn't focus enough to pick out where. She tried to open her mouth to speak but even that effort proved to be too much work.

"I'm cleansing your blood of _him._" The voice sounded so bitter, hateful. She couldn't figure out what the voice meant. "When Charlotte comes back, she will help us purify you."

Despite her exhaustion Elena's eyes sprung open at the mention of Charlotte's name. She looked up at the face of the woman, the woman who had been helping her break the sire bond, or should she say, the woman who had been forcing her to live through hallucination after hallucination of Damon torturing her. The woman looked down at her sympathetically and stroked her forehead. Something about her expression was wrong now, she had seemed so sure and friendly before but now there was something else that made Elena shudder. Elena tried to move away from her touch but her limbs wouldn't comply. Why couldn't she move? As though sensing Elena's question the woman smiled.

"Don't worry, you can't move because I am draining your blood. I have to, to remove any trace of his. Once you are purified you will be free of him." She explained nonchalantly. Elena's eyes widened as she contemplated what the woman was saying. She was draining her?! Wouldn't that kill her or leave her a dried up corpse? Her mind flicked back to Michael and how he had been practically mummified through time, but he was still alive, conscious!

"Please!" Elena managed to murmur with great effort as the woman continued to adjust what could only be several IV bags collecting her blood.

"Shush now. In time this will all be a memory. Charlotte and I have a place to store you for a few years, that should rid you of his influence completely and then you can go on with your life."

_A few years?! _Elena opened her mouth trying to scream out for help but she couldn't muster enough puff to do so. Tears fell down her cheeks as she realised what was going to happen to her. She was going to be locked away for years, away from Damon, away from Jeremy, Stefan, Bonnie… They would never know what had happened to her! How could she have been so stupid as to trust this woman? Charlotte was crazy and if she gone through this same procedure it was easy to understand why.

Suddenly there was a huge commotion and the woman jumped up startled, disappearing from Elena's sight. Elena fought to move her head to the side to see what was happening but she just couldn't move an inch. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks as the fear of uncertainty swept through her like a tidal wave. She was completely vulnerable. Was this another hallucination where Damon would barge in and hurt her again? She didn't know anymore. She didn't know how long she had been here, nothing seemed real anymore. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for death. After what she had been through, she welcomed it.

"Elena?!" She heard a voice, strained with emotion calling out to her. She ignored it, fearing it was another ruse. She heard thrashing and screams coming from somewhere nearby. She opened her eyes again. Usually there was no one else in the hallucinations but the two of them. She blinked trying to focus her eyes as she felt someone approach her and exhale in fear. She braced herself for pain, it was a natural instinct to her now. Damon = pain and it had to be him, it was always him. She held her breath as a figure leaned over her. She closed her eyes.

"Damon." She whispered and heard a choked sob. She was being lifted into someone's arms and she opened her eyes.

"Stefan?" She whispered unbelieving of her eyes. He looked worn out and upset as he held her, stroking her face tenderly as he checked her for injuries.

"What did you do Elena?" He sobbed, imploring her to explain what was happening. She frowned still unsure of whether this was trick.

"I had to break the sire bond." She murmured, looking at him as though he were stupid for not understanding this fact. His face fell and became a mask of pain and guilt. The change in his expression was so dramatic that it jerked something inside of her towards reality. Stefan was really here, he was really here! She reached up to touch his face as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Is she ok?" Caroline's voice came to her, floating towards her like a dream. Caroline's voice was wrong too. Something was wrong. What was happening?

"I'd say we better get her some blood don't you think?" Another voice. Elena managed to turn her head a little to the side and gasped when she saw Klaus standing looking concerned and agitated. What the hell was he doing here?

"What…?" She began to formulate her question when there was a huge clatter and raised voices.

"Where is she?!" An agonized voice called out, startling them all. Elena turned to look in the direction of the commotion and let out a blood curdling scream.


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27&

Elena's scream bounced off the walls and vibrated through her but she couldn't stop, she couldn't stop. Everything in her body told her to fight, to get away, and to run from the pain. He was here. He was always here!

Stefan held her to him tightly as she tried to get her limbs to move, to scramble out of his grip. Stefan looked so confused and hurt as she struggled, why didn't he understand? He was here for her!

"Elena, Elena what's wrong?" Caroline fought to stop Elena from struggling, trying to shush her but it didn't help. He was still standing watching her, ready to hurt her.

"Elena…" His voice was beseeching, but he had sounded like that before. He was coming nearer and she couldn't get away. She looked at him like a wild animal.

"No! Please Damon, don't! Please!" She screamed, but her begging had not stopped the pain before. She couldn't take her eyes from his as his face crumpled in pain. She couldn't trust it though.

"Damon, leave! Go outside you're scaring her!" She heard Caroline shout and she became vaguely aware of Damon being pulled out of the room by Klaus and Caroline as Stefan tried to calm her. She cried, hyperventilating through the anxiety and adrenaline coursing through her.

"Elena, it's ok, it's ok. He's gone. It's ok, I'm here." Stefan repeated over and over again until she began to relax against him. She looked up into his eyes which were so full of love and stared. Was this real?

"Stefan?" She whispered in disbelief and he gave her a small reassuring smile.

"You're ok now Elena, we stopped what she was doing. You're going to be alright." He cooed. Her mind was frazzled as she listened to him. This was real. She began to notice the burning thirst at the back of her throat beginning to rise up and choke her.

"I thought you might need this." Klaus appeared, glancing at her with a fleeting look of concern that she couldn't quite process as he pushed the shop assistant in by the neck. The woman cowered, terrified. Elena couldn't help her fangs pop down as she smelled the blood. She was famished. Stefan's whole body tensed in response and he shook his head at Klaus.

"Do you want her to live or not?" Klaus snapped and turned on his heel leaving them alone. Stefan squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled sharply. He set Elena down on her feet, supported her weight as her legs tried to adjust. The woman made to flee the room but Stefan grabbed her with his free hand and dragged her towards Elena's waiting mouth. Elena sank her teeth in without a seconds thought or worry about self control. She was going to take every drop! All too soon the woman's body drained and Elena dropped her heavily onto the ground. She felt relief and energy swirl through her. She wanted more, but she knew she'd have to contain herself for a while. She glanced up at Stefan, who was still holding her.

"Are you really here?" She enquired.

"I'm really here." He replied, trying to read her expression. He seemed wary of her. She frowned.

"How?" She said, unable to be more precise about what she meant. Her head was still spinning.

"We realised you were missing. Bonnie did a locator spell and we follow it here. We got here just in time." His gaze on her was softening and he pulled her into his arms warmly. She returned his embrace, breathing in his smell. So familiar and comforting and then she realised that Damon was here too.

"Damon!" She sprang out of his embrace and stared at him in horror. Stefan's face fell and he seemed sad. "Where's Damon?" She asked him frantically.

"I'm here."

She turned slowly to look at his face. He maintained a distance from her, ashen-faced and indescribably sad. Her voice caught in her throat as she took in his expression. She closed her eyes and felt her heart explode with pain. She opened her eyes again and he looked even worse, like someone had died. This was the real Damon, not the one who wanted to hurt her.

"Damon." She tentatively reached for him but he flinched in response as though she had burned him and she stopped in her tracks. "I'm sorry, I thought you were going to hurt me." She blurted as tears rolled down her face again. Tears filled his eyes and he clenched his jaw.

"Hey, let's get home. We all need to feed and rest." Stefan stroked her back gently and Elena saw a look of pain flash across Damon's face. She moved towards him but he made a hasty retreat and left the room. She turned back to look at Stefan, sobbing.

"Everything's going to be ok." Stefan said gently as he helped her walk out with his arm around her back.

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The journey home seemed to last forever. Damon was already gone when she got outside and everyone seemed to think that it was for the best. Elena had curled up in the backseat next to Caroline, who had fretted and cried over her most of the way home. Elena couldn't speak, she had nothing to say. Everything seemed like one horrible nightmare. She drifted into a dreamless sleep and was aware of being carried up stairs to a bed. She stirred as covers were tucked around her but she couldn't seem to care to wake up enough to find out whose arms she was in.

The night brought visions of burning grey blue eyes and searing pain as she tossed and turned, fighting him off. She actually woke herself up screaming as she fought against his chest, pleading with him not to hurt her anymore. Strong arms held her as she opened her eyes, breathing hard and sweating. It was Stefan.

"Stefan!" She gasped and cried into his chest as he held her. Her whole body shook as her adrenaline began to fade and she released her grip on him. He was looking at her with such fear, it brought her back to earth.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, trying to pull herself together. She looked around and noticed that she was in Damon's room. She felt both elation and fear at the same time and found that she couldn't quite contain the volume of emotion. She choked on a sob, jumping up alert. Stefan sat up instantly, watching her warily as she looked around.

"It's ok Elena. It's all over now, you're home." Stefan spoke calmly and gently as she began to slow her breathing. She was home. She was safe. She looked around the room again and took in how empty it was. She frowned. Where were Damon's things? Damon.

"Where's Damon?" She whispered, the nervousness in her voice evident. Stefan frowned at her sadly.

"He's around. He wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Where is he?" Elena pushed, listening briefly for the familiar sound of his erratic heartbeat. He was downstairs. He was listening. She turned and began walking out of the door toward the sound. Stefan rushed to her side, touching her arm.

"Wait Elena, are you sure you're ok? Yesterday you were terrified of him and just now, you were having a nightmare about him." Stefan was being very careful with his tone. She shivered and looked up at him.

"That woman, she did things. She played with my mind. She…made him do horrible things to me." She shuddered again at the memory and held herself. Stefan stroked her hair and sighed.

"You know that it wasn't Damon? He would never hurt you Elena." Stefan rubbed her arms affectionately. She nodded and took a breath. She knew Damon was listening but she needed to tell him face to face that she was understood that.

"I don't know if he's ready Elena. You scared him yesterday. He feels responsible." Stefan whispered and she thought she detected guilt in his voice. She nodded but knew she had to see him. She moved towards the stairwell and ascended the stairs. Damon was standing at the fireplace, staring into the fire. He knew she was there but he didn't move as she approached and stood behind him. Despite the fact that she knew this was the real Damon, her Damon, she couldn't help but feel anxious at her proximity to him. The longer he paid her no heed, the more she relaxed behind him. Finally after what seemed like an age he spoke quietly.

"Stefan was right - whether I mean it to happen or not, you're going to get hurt Elena." His voice was so melancholy it made her heart stop. This was her Damon, she needn't be afraid of him. She carefully, with some lingering reservation, placed her hand on his lower back testing her fear of touching him again. He flinched at her touch but didn't remove her hand or turn around. They stood like that for some time, feeling the heat of the fire warm them. She had never known him to be so quiet.

"It was my choice to go there." She whispered. She felt him tense up.

"What the hell were you doing?" He was angry but kept his tone low and controlled.

"Charlotte told me that I could break my sire bond there." Damon grabbed hold of the fireplace and she could tell he was trying to control his urge to punch a hole in the mantel.

"Why did you do it?" His voice was laced with pain and confusion as he spoke.

"Because I love you." She whispered as tears spilled down her cheeks again. He turned to face her swiftly, surprising her. She didn't understand his expression at all. He still seemed angry, but also full of longing and regret and self loathing. It was a confusing mixture. His mouth was open as he stared at her. "I didn't want you to be able to make me leave you. I had to get my own mind back."

"I never wanted to control your mind." He said mournfully.

"I know. None of this was your fault Damon." Elena reached up slowly and touched his cheek. He closed his eyes and leant into her hand. This simple movement made her feel a little more like her old self again.

"I did it for you." He whispered so quietly she wasn't sure whether he was talking to her or trying to reassure himself.

"I know." She cupped his other cheek with her other hand and he brought his hands up and placed them on top of hers. His eyes were so wide and open, like looking into a child's eyes. How was it that Damon could seem so utterly innocent and pure in moments like these but could snap someone's neck without blinking at other ti

"I did this for you." She echoed his words back at him.

"I would never have let you."

"You couldn't have stopped me, I would have found a way, I had to."

"You would've gotten over it Elena. You would still have had Stefan. If I left, you wouldn't have to worry about the sire bond because I wouldn't be here to hurt you." She dropped her hands from his face, feeling like they were on the cusp of an argument now.

"The only way you can hurt me is if you leave me, because I don't choose that Damon." She stared at him sincerely. He didn't seem convinced by her words as he sighed and looked towards the ceiling. It was then that she clicked. Damon had left. He had taken his things from the bedroom and had obviously left before they all realised that something was wrong.

"You left!?" She gasped, snapping his attention back to her questioning eyes. It took him a moment to register why she had made that conclusion. He bit his lip, very uncharacteristically looking nervous. Elena took a step back from him, feeling a flush of betrayal course through her. She still felt a bit shaky so she sat down on the nearest item of furniture to collect her wits. Damon was unsure of how to respond to reaction so he froze in his spot.

"I thought…" He began to stutter, his voice breaking enough to show her that he was upset too, which seemed to calm her a little.

"You thought you'd just make another decision for me and remove yourself from the equation without even talking to me about it or saying goodbye?" She accused. He gulped and ran his hand through his hair nervously, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Damon, when are you going to learn that I am a big girl? For god's sake I am a vampire now! I can make my own decisions, you don't need to protect me anymore."

"I will always protect you Elena - especially from me." He stated, albeit morbidly.

"That's not your decision to make anymore. If we are going to be together, you are going to have to understand that." Damon's mouth fell open as she spoke.

"We can't be together, you know that. You are still sired to me. You always will be." Damon was becoming stressed with this conversation and she recognised the signs that he wanted to bolt. She stood up and looked into his face. He looked so tired and weary.

"Perhaps we need to test that." She said confidently, using his own words against him.


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28&

"Next time, you drive your own damn car!" Caroline screeched the brakes to a halt and glared over at Klaus, willing him to exit her car as quickly as possible.

"So there'll be a next time then?" He asked with a seductive tilt of his eyebrows. What was wrong with him? Why didn't he get the message that she hated his guts? She frowned at him. He shot her a lazy smile as he opened the door and stepped out causally, as though being given a ride by her was a daily occurrence. He began to walk away slowly when a question burned in her mind. She had been curious about it all day and she just had to ask.

"Klaus!" She called, staying in her seat. He turned around moving to her window looking inside with a delighted expression. "Why did you help us today? I mean, we wouldn't have found that shop without your happy little grapevine people."

"I need Elena to make more hybrids. You know that, love." He said simply, but that didn't cut it in Caroline's opinion. She shook her head.

"You didn't need to come with us. I'm sure you could have stayed at home and got your hybrid slaves to go and retrieve her for you, so why didn't you?" A delighted look spread across his face and she sighed in exasperation at him. It didn't look like he was going to respond so she pushed.

"Well?" She said, crossing her arms in front of herself as a shield against his gaze. His expression changed to one of deep thought and consideration.

"You were upset." He said quietly.

"What?" She asked incredulously. He looked at her intensely and gave a tight smile. Could this be a genuine facial expression from him? He hadn't seriously travelled to another state with her and Stefan, by means of a hugely uncomfortable emotional rollercoaster, simply to take her mind off of her own feelings of guilt and regret. He wasn't capable of that kind of selfless act.

"You know how I feel about you Caroline. Why does it surprise you?" He was speaking sincerely. Caroline suddenly wasn't sure where to look, as she felt herself flush under his gaze. He was the bad guy, she couldn't let him make her feel like this. She couldn't let him get under her skin! Sensing her discomfort he leaned back from the window to give her some space.

"It's always easier to have someone to focus your hate on, than to deal with your own feelings. People need someone to blame. It's what makes being the bad guy so easy." She watched as he bowed gracefully to her and took his leave - leaving her staring numbly after him. What was she supposed to think of that? She continued to watch him walk away as her mouth fell open in shock. He turned as he stood in his doorway and smiled at her again.

"Night love."

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"I think we need to test that." Elena said confidently, although she could feel her insides begin to quake at the very thought of trying to test out whether she had broken this bond or not. What if the pain came again? She couldn't let Damon see the fear, she had to convince him that they could do this. His face was blank as he looked at her, no emotion betraying his calm exterior. He was preparing himself for failure or something worse.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." He whispered softly.

"We have to try this Damon, otherwise we will never know if this will work." Elena squeezed his arm as she spoke. He looked pained once more and nervous.

"What did she do to you?" He asked quietly, nervously. Elena blew out a breath unsure of whether she should give him all of the dirty details. He would be so angry and hurt. He had obviously overheard some of the details from the conversation Stefan and her had had in the bedroom just before. She patted the seat beside her, motioning for him to sit down which he did begrudgingly.

"She was trying to help me. I really believe that Damon." He snorted but she persisted. "She played over lots of scenarios where I had to resist what you wanted me to do. If I couldn't…"

"Then she made you think I'd hurt you?" He offered, swallowing hard.

"Not exactly." She looked up at him, feeling very unsure of how he would take this confession. He frowned in question. She took his hand in hers and he looked down at their entwined fingers. It was always easier to calm him down if she could touch him. The chemistry between seemed to be just enough of a deterrent for rage, to allow her to make her point before he exploded.

"The spell worked through creating hallucinations. It was the only way I could feel like it was real enough that I could respond instinctively." She said gravely, carefully watching his comprehension take hold as his face tightened and his hold on her hand became a grip. His eyes were burning and he tried not to look directly at her.

"I hurt you in these hallucinations." He said, with a controlled anger that she knew was ready to boil over.

"It wasn't really you." She put her other hand on top of his and tried to soothe his anger by stroking the back of his hand. He lowered his head, still maintaining his expression and tight hold on her hand.

"It was real enough that you believed I would hurt you." He looked up at her again and this time there was pain. She felt her heart palpitate as she blinked nervously. "How could you believe I would do that?" She didn't know what to say. He had done lots of things to hurt her in the past – killing Jeremy, what he did to Vicki, forcing his blood upon her…the list went on and on. He seemed to know, yet again, what she was thinking and his shoulders slumped slightly but visibly enough for her to notice.

"If you thought I was capable of something like that, why the hell are you here?" Back to angry again. She sighed as he stood up abruptly, snatching his hand from the vice like grip she had on him. This wasn't going well. He moved back to the fireplace with his back turned towards her again. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to fix this.

"I'm sorry." She whispered feeling deflated. She knew he would never hurt her physically, but those hallucinations – they had been so real, it had been hard to fight the fear. He didn't understand, he hadn't been there. If he had lived through what she had the past few days then he might have lost a bit of his mind too.

"Sorry to interrupt." Stefan coughed lightly as he appeared in the foyer. Damon and Elena both looked over at him blankly. "Bonnie called. She wanted to know if you are alright Elena." He handed Elena her cell phone and cast a look over at Damon, who had turned back to the fire again. Elena looked over at Damon longingly, but she knew that he had shut down for the moment. She couldn't push him too hard or he would run. As she rose to leave the room to call Bonnie, she caught a sympathetic glance from Stefan as she passed him. She didn't know how to feel about Stefan right now. He had forced Damon's hand and therefore forced her to take drastic action of her own, but he had saved her from the witch too and held her this morning while she was terrified. Her stomach rumbled uncomfortably with all of the conflicting raw emotion she was feeling. When did things get so complicated? She missed just being a girl in love with a guy and finishing her senior year. How warped and alien her life had become since those carefree days. If only she had someone to talk to who would understand, but everyone judged.

She walked outside, trying to take a breath as she did so. The tension in the house was so thick and full of recrimination that she felt like she had forgotten what it was like to breathe unrestricted. She dialled Bonnie's number and waited.

"Elena, are you ok?" Bonnie sounded concerned but relieved too.

"Yeah, I'm fine Bonnie, thanks to you." Thank god for locator spells.

"Well, it wasn't just me this time, but I'm glad you're ok. I was so worried because I couldn't come get you. I'm so sorry Elena, but Jeremy needed my help."

"You don't have to explain Bonnie, you're saving my brother from his supernatural hunter urges. I can't begin to thank you enough for that." Elena smiled and she could tell Bonnie was too. Elena pondered for a moment. "Thank god for locator spells." Elena gave a slightly nervous laugh.

"And the hybrid grapevine." Bonnie added.

"What?" Elena asked dumbfounded. What was she talking about?

"They didn't tell you? Once we knew you were in New Orleans, Klaus send the word out and got one of the hybrids to find you."

"But, there weren't any hybrids. Stefan, Caroline and Klaus found me." Elena's mind was wheeling, trying to grasp what Bonnie was talking about.

"Yeah, but the hybrid found you and told them where you were so they could come get you."

"Why didn't the hybrid just come?" Elena asked suspiciously. If the hybrid had found her, when did he find her and why hadn't he interceded? Had he found her long before he told everyone where she was? Bonnie seemed to pause, unsure of how to respond. There was something she was missing.

"Bonnie?" Elena probed. Bonnie sighed.

"I have no idea Elena. I never understand what Klaus's motivations are, but maybe Caroline might have some idea." Bonnie's tone was strange.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, nothing." Bonnie sighed again.

"No, it's something." Elena probed again.

"It was just weird watching the two of them. I couldn't help feeling like maybe there was something going on there."

"Between Caroline and Klaus? Bonnie don't be ridiculous, we all know he likes her but she would never be interested in him. He's the one who caused all of our problems." Elena puffed, feeling exasperated but defensive of Caroline's moral grounding.

"You didn't see them Elena. I know Caroline would never intentionally go there, but…" Bonnie paused, "never mind, forget I said anything. I think I'm just feeling paranoid." They both sighed.

"I'm sorry for what happened Elena. Caroline told me what happened between you and Damon." Bonnie was back to being concerned again. Elena's heart stopped for a beat as she realised that probably everyone knew what had happened by now. Of course they would. Great. Elena shut her mouth and clenched her teeth, feeling vulnerable and annoyed.

"Caroline feels terrible for how she behaved. She knows how wrong it was to force both of you apart." Elena grunted unconvinced. "Why didn't you come to me? Maybe there's something I could do to help break the bond?"

"I didn't have time to think it out properly Bonnie. Stefan forced our hands and then Charlotte tried to kill me. I just…" Elena closed her eyes feeling the impending pang of tears forming. She still hadn't had the time to fully process everything that had happened yet. All she could think about this morning was getting to Damon.

"I know, I'm sorry. Elena you know you can call me right? I mean I know we haven't seen much of each other lately but I love you. You're my best friend and I'm worried about you. This transition has changed you so much…"

"Everyone keeps saying that!" Elena snapped, cutting Bonnie off. Bonnie paused again surprised. "I'm sorry. Everyone keeps trying to blame everything on my transition but I'm still me and I know who I am. I have changed but it's been my choice."

"You mean, he's been your choice." Bonnie asked gently, without judgement. Bonnie Bennett, who hated Damon Salvatore with more cause than anyone else was giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"I think I love him Bonnie."

"I will do everything I can to try and find something that will help Elena." Bonnie said with conviction.

"Thanks. I haven't tested whether it is broken yet."

"You won't know until you try." Bonnie comforted and Elena resolved herself to test it now, whether she had to drag Damon away from the edge of proverbial sulking or not.

"Thanks Bonnie. I'll call you later."

"Elena?" Bonnie sounded just as Elena was going to hang up. "Give Caroline a call will you? She needs it."

"Ok." Elena gulped. Caroline had already apologised and cried all the way home from New Orleans, but Elena couldn't help but feel like the tears were for Caroline's own comfort and guilty conscience. She didn't feel as though the gravity of how hurt Elena had been had been fully understood. She needed some time to think about it. Right now she had to finish this confrontation with Damon and then she would decide what to do with Stefan and Caroline.

She turned and walked back inside the boarding house, but Damon was gone.

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	29. Chapter 29

Hey guys! Fingers crossed we get a little Delena in our episode tomorrow night, but I'm not holding my breath, judging by the promos. Let me know what you think so far!

x

CHAPTER 29&

"Damon?!" Elena called, suddenly feeling panic overtake her as she rushed up the stairs towards his room. Mercifully he was there and looked up at her surprised as she fell through the doorway breathing harshly. "I thought you were gone." She stuttered. He said nothing as he took her in. Dread began to creep into her mind again at his silence.

"We need to test this out Damon." She tried to calm herself and sound resolute. He sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"And what happens if it doesn't work? Are you going to go find a surgeon to try and surgically remove bits of your brain or join a liberation movement?" His words struck her hard and she could feel her resolve shake.

"We will find a way." She managed to say.

"No, Elena, we won't _find_ a way!" He shouted, making her jump. "We have two options – A) You stay away from me and get on with your life or B) I leave so you don't have to worry about this anymore." His voice was stern and she shivered at how sure he sounded.

"I have faith in you, why can't you have some faith in me?" She shot back at him. "I know I can do this."

"Point is you shouldn't have to do this." He growled getting frustrated with her. She couldn't keep fighting forever. She suddenly felt so tired. Her body and mind had been abused, her friends had betrayed her and all she wanted was for Damon to hold her. She must have sagged as she became overcome with the exhaustion of it all, as Damon was suddenly holding her and checking her over. She looked up into his eyes and found her Damon still in there, desperate to fight like she was. To fight for what he wanted, what they both wanted.

"Please Damon." She whispered imploringly at him and he closed his eyes sighing.

"How do you want to do this?" He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers and holding her closer to him.

"Tell me to do something simple." She whispered back, closing her eyes.

"Kiss me Elena." He said and her eyes popped open wide. She jumped back from him a little, staring at him, looking for signs that he wasn't the real Damon anymore. He sounded just like… Damon reached for her confused and hurt. He couldn't have known that he had just repeated what his hallucination had commanded her to do. Elena felt like all the air had left her body as she tried to breathe. She could feel the fear of the pain come back as though she were still in that store room. She instinctively stepped forward to be in his embrace again. He froze, not knowing what the hell was happening. She knew he only had enough patience with this experiment to wait for a short period before he would clam up and choose one his exit strategies.

As she brought her arms around him, she waited for the pain to hit her but it didn't come. It always had when she did what he had commanded her to do, but it wasn't happening. Something in her mind reeled from the prospect of no pain and started to contemplate that if there was no pain, then there was no reason not to do as he asked and she did want to kiss him. She wanted to kiss him so desperately! His mouth was so close to hers, all it would take would be for her to lean in slightly and she could give herself to him. It would feel so good to let go. She would feel so happy and content. She wanted to kiss him anyway, so it wasn't exactly a failure in the experiment. They could just try something she didn't want to do next time and she would prove to him that she had broken the bond.

The voice in her head was making so much sense, she relaxed against him, except he was very tense and statue like. She looked in his eyes and found pain there and what was it…disappointment? The look snapped her back to reality just as she leant forward to capture his bottom lip. She froze, tensing against him as though she were a fly caught in a spider web. She took a step back from him. She had to put enough space in between them to allow her to think! He stared at her, awaiting her next move. He looked as though he were the animal caught in a trap, when it was she who vibrated with overwhelming adrenaline.

"I'm sorry. I was just surprised you picked that one. It happened…before." She explained. She hadn't kissed him though, she had resisted. She smiled broadly, feeling the elation of her achievement until she took in his expression. He looked sad. Why wasn't he jumping up and down like she felt doing? She had broken the bond, she could do this!

"What's wrong?" She went to him.

"Is it always going to be like this?" He asked. She blinked confused. "Are you going to have to fight so hard just to ignore something I might blurt out by accident?" Now she understood his pain and sadness. He had evidently seen how much she had to fight with herself simply to avoid kissing him. He didn't trust himself with her already and now he had seen how much she had struggled to trust herself too.

"No, it'll get easier." She tried to reassure him, stroking the side of his face and curling his hair round behind his ear.

"You don't know that." He said.

"Yes I do. It got easier before and now that it's really you with me, it's all the motivation I need." Damon shook his head again, swallowing. She still hadn't convinced him. She could feel her heart starting to break again. If he really wanted to leave he would and she knew that there was no way she could stop him. In the end, Damon always did what he wanted. She had to get through to him.

"You never gave up." She said staring into his eyes. He raised his eyebrows. "All this time that you felt for me, despite the fact that I loved Stefan and hated you at times, you never stopped trying to look after me, to be there for me. You said you'd never leave me, even when it caused you so much pain to watch me with someone else. Why can't you understand that I am willing to do the same for you?" He seemed to guess where she was going with this and interrupted.

"Elena, this is not the same." His voice began to sound whiny so she held his head in both her hands to keep him focussed on what she was saying.

"How is this any different?" She asked.

"Because I chose to stay. You didn't choose this. You would never have chosen to have to fight your every fibre to figure out if you can trust your own decisions."

"Ok, I didn't choose the sire bond, but I did choose to leave Stefan because of how I felt about you. I did choose to sleep with you and love you and I chose to go to that witch Damon. I chose and I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant that I could be with you, because in spite of everything that's working against us I choose you." She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she spoke. She hadn't even realised she had been crying, she had been concentrating on her use of words so carefully. Damon closed his eyes and sighed, but this time not a sigh of frustration or exasperation, but one of longing. She had to seal the deal here.

"If you leave me now, I will never forgive you Damon." She paused and his eyes widened. "I thought you loved me as much as I love you. I can't let you go until I know that we have tried." His eyes wavered surprised at the forcefulness of her words. She spilled a few more tears down her cheeks as she blinked and withdrew her hands from his head. She took a step back to look at him properly. He seemed lost for words. She nodded her head absentmindedly as he made no attempt to speak or move towards her. Maybe he couldn't do this. He was a fragile person, always running from his feelings, especially when the going got tough. He was no Stefan when it came to knowing how a girl wanted you to react when she was upset and giving you an ultimatum.

Elena turned to leave the room in silence. Maybe if she gave him some time to think…She knew that if he had ever said anything like that to her she would have been on her knees, but Damon would never do that. She felt a sharp sting of disappointment as she reached the door frame and paused, desperately hoping that he would say something, anything and not let her walk away! There was silence. She took a step over the threshold back into neutral ground in the hallway, out of the bubble that had been their fantasy of a relationship and headed down the stairs. A whoosh of wind startled her and she felt herself being thrown back into the wall. She gasped in fear, when she felt his lips on hers. Her body cried in relief that he was kissing her with so much passion and abandon. She kissed him back breathlessly, grabbing at him to steady herself as he held her against the wall so securely she thought she might indent a shape in it. He had never kissed her like this. When they had kissed in Denver, it had become heated and passionate but right now Damon's passion was so unbridled she felt as though they could make love right on the stairwell.

He lifted her after a moment, wrapping her legs around his waist as he carried her back to his room in a flash, knocking over some things he had started to pack for his exit strategy. She could feel herself laugh as they kissed and their mouths vibrated as she did so. He didn't seem to want to unlock his mouth from hers to even talk or breathe, so she didn't try and stop him. She wanted him so badly. The past few days in New Orleans had felt like years and the last time they had made love seemed so long ago that her whole body was bursting with desire for him. He threw them both down on the bed with her back flat against the mattress and tore open her shirt carelessly. It was as though he wanted to eat her, his ferocity was so extreme. He looked like a wild animal, even his eyes had changed to a black colour as it seemed his only focus was to get inside of her, to claim her as his and she wanted it more than anything. She tried to help him remove her jeans and underwear but he growled at her, baring teeth and held her arms down. He was in charge. She lay in his embrace as he rid both of them of their clothes. He began kissing her wholeheartedly once more and lifted her legs around his waist again. She tilted her pelvis up desperately and let him control her whole body as he moved her into position and entered her. She almost felt like one of the girls in the old fashioned vampire movies, being taken by the vampire and being helpless and vulnerable, unable to resist. Difference was that she could resist but she didn't want to. She wanted him to know that she was his. The last two times they'd made love they had been gentle with each other, almost like a couple of virgins, but this time Damon was going in so deep and with such speed and desire she could feel her whole body being possessed. She could barely string a thought together as he moved. She squealed in surprise as he twisted her over onto her side and took her from behind. This position was a lot more sensitive and she could feel her body react to the build up of sensation. He held her around her waist as he moved and kissed the back of her neck hungrily. She knew he would bite and she felt like begging him to do so.

He kissed behind her ear and she shivered, beginning to thrust back into him as she heard his breathing speed up. _Please bite me Damon_. She silently prayed as he continued to tease her. She could feel her orgasm approaching but she didn't want it yet. She didn't want it to be over yet. She felt her fangs descend as she began to grow hungry for the blood sharing they had experienced at the Grill. Damon was starting to make small moans behind her. She didn't have much time. She grabbed the arm around her waist and spun around on top of him. He gasped taken aback by her sudden movement. Despite the rage of the fire in her belly, she slid out of him and he groaned, flushed and gorgeous beneath her. She didn't give him a chance to take control again as she lunged down and bite his neck. He was rigid at first but then he melted against her, sighing in pleasure. She lapped at the blood coming down his white marble neck and sucked some more out of the wound as she draped her body down onto his. His arms had risen up to either side of his head, almost in surrender. She reached out and interlinked their hands together lovingly. She could feel him begin to struggle against her after a few minutes and she relinquished his hands. He slid them down over her back and used one to re-insert himself inside her again. She pulled her head back to gaze down at him. He looked up at her in wonder and love as some of his blood dripped down over his own mouth. He licked it away and she couldn't take her eyes off of his moist, full lips. She kissed him with fervour as he began to rock underneath her, holding her close to him so he could go into her deeper. His thrust became hurried and urgent. She lifted her face from his and he rocked harder, moving the headboard from the wall. She reached out and placed her hands against the headboard and leant forward, cushioning her breasts against his mouth. He caught one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked as he lifted his pelvis higher, knocking them forwards into the headboard repeatedly. She couldn't restrain herself any longer as she felt her insides quake with intension. She panted and cried out as she hit her peak. She felt her elbows try to give way and had to slump her head against the headboard to stay upright as he rammed into her at increased speed and cried out as he came.

She tried to calm her breathing enough to speak but she was too exhausted. She pushed herself away from the wall to look down at him, when she saw the tears. Damon's expression was happy and relaxed but there were a few tears rolling down his cheeks into his raven hair. She stroked them away and he looked up at her. He looked so human and fragile. She smiled down at him, placing her hand over his heart pointedly as he watched her.

"I choose you." She whispered.


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

Things wouldn't be back to normal…whatever normal was, but they would both try. After their furious and passionate reunion, Damon had promised her that they would try it her way. He had fallen asleep with his head on her stomach as she had stroked through his hair lovingly. He could be such a boy at times, needing to be comforted and lulled. She lay awake enjoying the sensation of his breath across her navel as she daydreamed what he would have been like before Katherine had gotten her claws into him. She felt tired but comfortable as he dreamed, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of apprehension she felt every time she began to doze. She knew that things weren't normal, not for her and they wouldn't be for a while. She had felt like she was losing her mind and that wasn't going to just disappear now that she had the real Damon in bed covering her with his body protectively.

Charlotte had talked about nightmares, which evidently Elena had experienced this morning when she had awoken to an ashen faced Stefan holding her. Stefan. What the hell was she going to do about him? She begrudgingly made the decision to get up and get some coffee. She didn't want to fall asleep and risk having a nightmare that would horrify Damon. She blinked back tears at the memory of the look on his face as she had screamed trying to get away from him in New Orleans. She didn't want to ever see that look again. She had to protect him from that aspect of her new-found _freedom _from the sire bond. Maybe there was something Bonnie could do to help stop the nightmares, some hypnotherapy trick or something she had learned from Professor Shane.

She carefully turned slightly to motion that she wanted to turn onto her side. Damon grumbled in his sleep at the change in position but sleepily allowed her to roll away from him as he curled up and fell asleep again. He was such a light sleeper and she wanted to him to get a proper rest for a change so she had held her breath and tiptoed around to find her clothes as though she were a burglar. She smiled to herself at that thought. As she dressed and made to leave the room she looked back over her shoulder to ensure he was still asleep and sighed contently as she observed his rapid eye movements. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

She walked down to the living room smiling to herself and looking forward to some breakfast when she saw Stefan sitting on the sofa waiting for her. It was so obvious that he had been waiting for her, from the nervous look in his eyes. She knew she would have to deal with him sooner or later, but her priority had been Damon first. She couldn't put this off any longer. He gave her a watery smile as she sat down across from him in Damon's arm chair.

"Morning." He said trying to sound cheerful but she could see how nervous and uncomfortable he was.

"Morning." She said politely, mirroring his posture.

"I thought we could talk…about everything." He stumbled. Elena nodded, unsure of what he wanted her to say. He was struggling and normally she would try and help relieve his nerves but she didn't feel like doing that for a change. She couldn't help curb the voice in her head that was telling her that he deserved to feel like this. He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.

"Listen Elena, when I brought Charlotte here, I thought it would help you. I needed you to see what the sire bond could do…" He started. Elena clenched her teeth together but let him continue.

"I had no idea that she would go after you. If I had suspected…"

"What did you think she was going to do Stefan? Did you really think that bringing an insane mind here, hell bent on having Damon back, would actually lighten the situation around here?" Elena couldn't help her outburst. Stefan paled as she spoke, looking down at his hands again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. My only consideration was you Elena. I couldn't let you blindly go through with this with him."

"Go through with this?" She chuckled without mirth. "You make it sound like an operation. That's the problem with both of you. You still think you have to protect me, even from myself. It's not your job anymore Stefan. It's not Damon's either, it's mine."

"It doesn't mean I will stop trying to look out for you. You might feel different now, but I don't Elena. Doesn't that even mean anything to you anymore?" He was hurt. She was glad but couldn't help notice the stir of some of her old feelings towards him. She had loved him so much. She would have travelled around looking for him forever when Klaus had taken him away from Mystic Falls. She couldn't believe how much had changed since then. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts.

"Of course it does. I still care about you, but I'm in love with Damon. I'm sorry that it hurts you so much. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't help how I feel. If you trust anything, trust that because I just went through hell to ensure he trusts that I can be with him. I never doubted that, but it seemed like I had to almost get myself killed in the process of trying to prove to the rest of you that I know what I want without any influence from Damon."

"What you did was stupid and selfish Elena. What would have happened if we hadn't found you? What would have happened to Jeremy? To Bonnie, Caroline…? Or was Damon the only thing you cared about?" He was getting angry with her now. She wasn't going to let him turn the tables on her just yet.

"Selfish? That is rich considering your motivations to force Damon into betraying me in the first place. We were dealing with it Stefan and you had to interfere because you couldn't move on. What happened to all that talk we had that night down in the basement about you wanting me and Damon to be happy? You said you didn't want to stand in the way like Katherine had done and that's exactly what you did! I had no choice but to go with Charlotte, she was going to kill me right there in the woods so she could have Damon to herself. If I hadn't convinced her that I didn't want him, she would have killed me right there."

Stefan stood up, angry and frustrated.

"When you were with Klaus looking for werewolves, I went through hell every day for months trying to find you. I hardly slept or ate. I put myself in dangerous situations to bring you home even when you sent me away because I loved you. Did you really think I would just let Damon send me away without any fight? I would have let that witch lock me away for years if she thought it would cure me." Elena spoke confidently and he stopped to look at her.

"What about everyone else who loves you?" Stefan had tears in his eyes.

"None of you left me any choice." Elena whispered, feeling the pain of Caroline's betrayal in particular. Neither of them spoke for a moment as the atmosphere in the room thickened with guilt and recriminations unspoken.

"Thank you for coming to get me in New Orleans." She said sincerely. He nodded tightly. She stood up, needing to take a beat from the intensity of their conversation and get herself some blood from the basement.

"Did it work?" She heard Stefan ask as she passed him. She nodded, biting her lip. Stefan had already seen the state she had been in when she woke up in his arms. She wanted to play it down like a one off and save any further worrying.

"It'll take some time to get used to." She commented, remembering Damon's reaction to her struggle last night. It would get easier, she was sure of it.

"If you need someone to talk to…" Stefan began to offer.

"I need some time Stefan." She sighed and left for the basement. It was going to take her some time to trust him again. She thought about Caroline as she picked up a few blood bags from the fridge. She wasn't sure how to deal with Caroline yet either. She wanted to stay mad at her but she was her best friend. At the very least Caroline had admitted that she shouldn't have interfered with what was happening with her and Damon, she knew she'd messed up. Elena sighed again, pondering on calling her and getting their conversation over with when she saw Damon walk past her and enter the store room or dungeon as she perceived it.

"Hey, I didn't hear you get up!" She called in his direction, frowning at his cold demeanour. He must have been listening to her conversation with Stefan and taken some of it the wrong way. How many times did she have to reassure him that the love she felt for Stefan wasn't the same as how she felt about him now? He didn't answer.

"Damon?" She called trailing down the corridor to find him. She hated when he was in a mood like this. She walked into the store room and he wasn't there, the room was empty. She whirled around confused and retraced her steps to see if there was any other route he could have taken. There were so many hidden rooms and door in the boarding house, it was like being on a treasure hunt when you were trying to locate household items sometimes. She couldn't fathom why the Salvatore's had built so many secret hideaways. Lots of secrets obviously, she chastised herself as she thought it.

"Damon?" She called again, but there was nothing. She shook her head and headed back upstairs, looking behind her every now and then in case Damon was planning on sneaking up behind her. Stefan was reading a book just where she had left him a few moments ago. He looked up at her concerned as she approached. She must have looked confused. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Did Damon come back through this way?" She asked. Stefan frowned confused.

"He's hasn't come down yet."

"I just saw him in the basement but I lost him on the way back up here." She explained perplexed. Stefan frowned again and shrugged his shoulders. She shook her head and climbed back up the stairs. If Damon was in a mood, then she was definitely going to need a hot shower before she dealt with him. She walked into their bedroom and stopped short as she took in the sleeping figure of Damon, still curled up where she had left him. Elena gasped and dropped the blood bags onto the floor with a thud.


	31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

Damon was up in a flash as he heard Elena gasp in fear, holding her by her arms to see if she was ok.

"Elena's what's wrong? Are you ok?" He asked worried. She shook her head and smiled up at him feeling embarrassed.

"Sorry, I thought you were up already." Elena mumbled trying to find an excuse that didn't make her sound like one of the ghost hunters on TV. Damon didn't seem convinced by her as he quirked an eyebrow at her. "I wanted to surprise you with some breakfast in bed." She continued, trying to reassure him. His face relaxed and he smiled wickedly.

"I have no problem getting back into bed if you come _with_ me." He teased. She gave him a soft shove on the arm playfully and he grinned, his perfect white teeth showing.

"Well, I would love to, but some of us have things to do. We can't all be rich leisurely types you know." She pushed him backwards towards the bed and he sat down grabbing her around the waist as she squealed. She leaned down and kissed him deeply. It almost felt normal. She couldn't shake the certainty that she must have just hallucinated again though and she knew that she had to make a visit to her friendly neighbourhood witch. Maybe Bonnie could help, because she didn't want to contemplate that the hallucinations would be permanent. She really would end up like Charlotte then. She broke their kiss and he moaned in complaint and pouted dramatically at her as he looked up at her.

"I promised Bonnie I would go see her. I have some catching up and apologising to do." Damon snorted and she cast him a look of disapproval. She knew he cared little for any of the rest of their feelings in her little group, but he bit his tongue anyway and tried to guilt trip her with puppy dog eyes instead. She sighed and ran her fingers through his already messy hair. He hummed in response.

"I will be back later." She kissed the top of his head and he released her from his grip around her waist sighing. She picked up the abandoned blood bags and tossed them over to him. "Love you." She said and he mouthed the sentiment back to her as she left the room. She had to get to Bonnie and figure out what was going on.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

"I don't know how to describe it any better than that Bonnie. I know it was him, I smelled him, I felt the air move as he walked past me…" Elena bit back a few tears as she brought her knees up under her chin.

"Ok. So did it feel like the hallucinations you had in New Orleans? Did they feel as real as that?" Bonnie questioned looking on at her concerned.

"They all felt real - the smells, the sounds…the pain." She gulped fighting a shiver. She looked over at Bonnie frowning. "Am I just hallucination girl or something? First the hunters curse, now this…"

"The hunters curse was just that Elena – a curse. This is different."

"Could it be a spell?" Elena asked hopefully.

"I don't know I've never heard of a spell like that before. You said it was like she kind of hypnotised you at first?" Elena nodded and Bonnie stood up to grab her phone.

"Maybe Shane can help. He knows a lot about hypnosis and he's been helping me to get control over my mind." Elena sat up straight as Bonnie dialled his number. Perhaps there was hope. Her heart began to thud in her chest as she waited eagerly for him to answer.

"Professor? It's Bonnie Bennet. I was wondering if you could help me with some questions about hypnosis and magic. Are you available to come over right now?" Bonnie began to pace, offering Elena a small smile of encouragement. The door bell rung and Elena frowned. Surely that couldn't be him. Bonnie hung up and tucked her hands in the pockets of her jeans sheepishly. Elena frowned and then it clicked. The front door opened slowly, nervously as Caroline stuck her head in and smiled shyly at them.

"Hey Care, come on in." Bonnie invited, flashing a quick look over at Elena. Elena clenched her jaw in annoyance at Bonnie's friend-tervention. Caroline walked in awkwardly.

"Hey." She said to Elena. Elena glanced up at her.

"Hey." She said with as little emotion as possible. She wasn't sure what to say to Caroline yet.

"How are you feeling?" Caroline continued to stand, unsure of where to sit. For the first time in her life she didn't know her place.

"I'm fine." Elena sighed.

"She is not fine!" Bonnie cut in, earning a dirty look from Elena. "I'm sorry Elena but you don't have to go through this on your own. We are here for you, just like we've always been."

"Elena, I was wrong and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Caroline knelt beside Elena imploringly. Elena swallowed and tried to resist tears but once Caroline began to sob, she couldn't hold herself back either. Both ended up in each others' arms, just like old times as Bonnie smiled and hugged them both with her body. After a few moments, they pulled apart again and composed themselves.

"I shouldn't have judged him so quickly. I know he has changed for you. I just…" Caroline began but Elena interrupted.

"I know. No one knows him like I do, he doesn't let anyone see anything but his bad side." Elena explained and Caroline nodded. Bonnie eyed Caroline speculatively. Elena couldn't help but notice. She raised her eyebrows at Bonnie but Bonnie shook her head lightly. Caroline felt the air change and looked at them both.

"What did I miss?" She asked, sitting down next to Elena properly.

"Nothing." Bonnie blushed and sat down across from them. Caroline gave a small laugh of disbelief.

"No, there's definitely something." She pushed. Elena shrugged.

"It's nothing, just an observation is all." Bonnie closed her mouth tightly unsure whether to stir this demon right now when Elena needed to focus on her problem. Caroline sighed.

"About what?" She asked. Bonnie shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"When you brought Klaus here, you and he seemed…" Bonnie paused planning her words carefully, "couply."

"What?!" Caroline shouted and then realised she was louder than she intended. She took a breath and calmed down. "Why would you say that? Why would you even think that?"

"I'm just worried about you Care. Everyone knows he likes you. I'm just concerned about his involvement with you." Caroline stood up pacing clearly embarrassed. Elena looked at them both sheepishly.

"There is nothing going on between us. I can't believe you would even think that for a second! He's the bad guy." She fumed.

"He was more involved than he needed to be in New Orleans." Bonnie kept her tone calm.

"Yeah because he needs Elena to make more hybrids!"

"He didn't have to go with you and Stefan." Bonnie interjected. Elena sat forward in her chair intrigued at Bonnie's logic.

"He did it for me ok?!" Caroline vented, breathing harshly as she felt butterflies fill her stomach suddenly. She stopped pacing and sighed. Finally glad to admit it to someone. She looked at them both helplessly before continuing. "He said he went with us because I was upset and he could distract me by being his usual mind-numbingly irritating self." She sat back down with a thud as Elena and Bonnie exchanged shocked glances. None of them spoke for several minutes, unsure of what to say.

"And I thought Damon and I had problems." Elena mumbled breaking the silence. They all looked at each other and slowly burst into fits of laughter at how ridiculous their lives were right now. They continued to laugh until the door bell went again and Bonnie darted up to answer it eagerly.

"Professor Shane, thank you so much for coming." Bonnie welcomed him into the living room and Caroline looked at Elena in confusion. Elena stood up and shook his hand and he took a seat looking interested in what had made them bring him down in such a flurry.

"Professor I need your help. Bonnie says that you have some experience with hypnosis and other kinds of magic?" Elena asked hopefully. Caroline raised her eyebrows at Bonnie and Bonnie gave her a tight smile.

"I have practised hypnosis for many years and although I don't practise magic, I might know some information that could help you." He offered politely. Elena smiled and swallowed the surge of saliva that rushed into her mouth suddenly.

"Ok, well there was this witch in New Orleans…"


	32. Chapter 32

Hi everyone sorry for such a long hiatus. I got caught up in all the talk of Ian being up for Christian Grey and decided to write an alternative S&M version of him being chained up and tortured by Rebekah in season 3. If it tickles your fancy it's called 'A little pain never hurt anyone' and I just finished it. Anyway, back to this fic. I hope it's still as good as before despite my flow ebbing.

Claire

CHAPTER 32

Elena was exhausted after relating her tale to Professor Shane. He had asked so many questions and she had found herself very uncomfortable on more than one occasion at the depths in which he was pushing for answers. She didn't know him well enough to go into intimate details but Bonnie had smiled reassuringly throughout, even when Caroline had frowned at his insistence. Bonnie trusted him and that would have to be enough for now. In the end he had decided that a course of hypnotherapy might be a good way of delving into whatever damage had been done to her mind. It made her feel nervous though. She had already given up so much of her mind to Rebbie and to Damon. Would there be anything left of Elena Gilbert if this continued much longer?

The old foreboding worry that she would lose herself started to come back as she drove back to the boarding house. Was she never going to find any peace? Everything was so difficult since she had turned. She shook herself out of her mood and tried to focus on the fact that Shane believed he could help. They were going to start tomorrow. She was firm in her belief that it would be a bad idea for Damon to know that she was doing this as she knew she was on shaky ground convincing him that she was able to deal with the sire bond already. She had to protect him from this. There was a part of her crying out to talk to Stefan. Stefan had always been so empathetic in situations like these, but right now she didn't feel like she could tell him either. She pulled up outside the house and plastered a smile on her face. Think of Damon…

Damon was reading in his chair when she walked in and his face lit up as she approached him, climbing onto his lap.

"Miss me?" She whispered, kissing him as he let the book fall to the floor to wind his arms around her. His lips were soft and full. He must have just fed as he tasted succulent and inviting. She pulled back and he smiled, stroking her hair behind her ears.

"I thought I might have to send a search party out." He quipped softly but she knew that there was worry in his use of words. She had only been home for a few days and the nightmare of what she had been through was still fresh in his mind. He was still scared of losing her.

"How could I resist such a tantalising welcome home?" She joked as she kissed him again, feeling his blood pressure rise as she lay her fingers against his pulse point and stroked it, earning her a growl from him. He pulled back eyes filled with lust as he lifted her and carried her up to their room. He flopped her down on the bed and smiled at her wickedly as she pushed herself back up to the pillows.

"You left me a bit high and dry this morning. That wasn't very nice of you." He purred and began to unbutton his shirt as she blushed with desire. "I think you owe me." He smiled at her again and her breath caught in her throat as her groin stirred. He undressed painstakingly and slowly until her whole body was burning for him to be inside of her already. She groaned as he took his time, placing his clothes on a chair across the room and she slid her hands down to graze over her nipples which were now standing to attention. He turned around and grinned as he watched her touch herself. He shook his head at her and tutted.

"Take off your clothes Miss Gilbert." He instructed and she eagerly stripped, tossing her clothes carelessly beside the bed as he chuckled. "Someone's in a hurry." He commented.

"Damon.." She began to whine as he walked around to collect her clothes. He shushed her with his finger and she frowned at him.

"No talking Miss Gilbert." She flushed realising what he was doing. He was playing her at her own game. She hoped to god he wasn't going to completely re-enact the passionate night of love making they had had before everything had went all to hell and Stefan had called Charlotte. Her stomach clenched as her body complained about the lack of touch from him and she puffed out air, annoyed with him. It only made him move more slowly as she wiggled on the bed, trying to get his attention. She could see how aroused he was, he was hard and swollen. He laid her clothes neatly over his own and turned back to her. She gave him an imploring look and tilted her pelvis upwards as he walked back to the bed.

"You're not allowed to touch me." He grinned wickedly and she gulped, hating the tables being turned on her like this. He casually climbed onto the bed beside her and traced his fingertips up her sides, making her shiver and writhe from the sensation. She moaned having to bite her lip to stop from saying his name and he chuckled as he licked up from her navel to the underside of her breast in one long movement with his tongue. He was enjoying the writhing of her body beneath him and took one of her nipples into his mouth, biting just enough for her to grow more restless. He tortured her for a few minutes, suckling at both nipples with skill until he could feel her ripping the bedclothes with her nails in an attempt not touch him. She was panting and sweating and he was thoroughly enjoying the revenge. He mercifully let her nipple pop out of his mouth and dragged his chin downwards to her groin. She gave out a sob and he smiled to himself at how good he was at this. He blew a little puff of air over her clitoris and she shivered, opening her legs wider until he could slide his body between them. He held her thighs delicately and used his nose to stroke over her core slowly. She cried out at the sensation and he flicked his tongue over it again, noticing how wet she was becoming. Her body was crying out to him and his body responded with a jolt, but he wasn't done teasing her yet. He inserted his tongue inside of her, clearing the way as he pumped it in and out of her while holding her pelvis down. Her moans were higher pitched now and he pulled his tongue out and circled it over her core making her jump and tilt herself up into his mouth again.

He chuckled and kissed down the inside of her thigh. She slammed one of her hands down on the bed in frustration with him and he smiled against her skin. She was a new vampire and hadn't learned all of the tricks yet. He was amazed at how little humans new about their own bodies as he pierced the skin in her thigh just at the right point to access her femoral artery. He let his eyes fall closed as he drew out a mouthful of her blood and she stilled her writhing as her body was flooded with endorphins. She sighed and he drank another gulp, feeling the tremor of his own desire spread through him as familiar waves of pleasure began to roll into him through her blood. She could feel them too as she started to moan again, this time in bliss and need rather than with raw sexual electricity. He could feel her body move under him as he moaned and pulled his head back from her. He wanted to drink every drop but she was too addictive. Now he wanted to really test her. She had struggled last night when she had tried to disobey the sire bond. It had been hard for her and he had only asked her to do something simple. She had begged and insisted she could handle it and he had crumbled before her, giving in to her like he always did but he had had all day to think on it and he wanted to see if she really could resist him. When else would she be so relaxed and unsuspecting of the sire bond, than when she was bursting with desire to have him?

He knew she would be mad afterwards but she had used this trick on him to see whether he could resist enforcing the sire bond on her. Surely she couldn't be mad at him doing the same to be sure that they could really do this? To check that she had really broken the bond? He couldn't live without knowing whether this was real, he had to know!

He crawled up to her face and kissed her, letting her lick her own blood from inside of his mouth and he stroked down her sides again. She was bucking against him desperately now and he could see how far in heat she was.

"You're not allowed to speak to me Elena." He purred and she nodded breathlessly as he stroked down her stomach, heading towards her groin. She tilted her head back gasping in need as he inserted his fingers inside of her and began to gently bend them upwards towards her G-spot. She shuddered and moaned and he kissed her throat sloppily, tasting the beads of sweat that had formed there. He pumped his fingers in a little farther now and her breath hitched. She grimaced desperate for his manhood as she felt how hard he was pressing against her.

"Do you want me Elena?" He purred seductively and she nodded fiercely. He let his fingers glide out over her clitoris and she panted.

"What do you want inside of you?" He asked and she frowned at him confused. "Do you want my fingers?" She shook her head.

"What do you want then?" He raised an eyebrow and she puffed, annoyed and turned on to the point of pain. She nudged his manhood with her pelvis and he shook his head.

"Which part is that?" She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and fury. She wasn't allowed to speak! He knew she would give him hell for this but he pulled his fingers out of her completely and she cried out in protest, staring at him in disbelief as he sat back and sighed at her, smugly.

"I don't know what you want Elena." He stated matter of factly and she wanted to scream. Scream at him to stop torturing her, to stop being an ass, to get inside of her before her body exploded and burst into flames. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them down her cheeks. That would teach him! Immediately his gaze softened and she could see him struggle with this nifty idea of his. He couldn't stand to see her cry and he almost moved to her again but held back.

"What do you want Elena?" He repeated, his voice now nervous and then she realised what he was doing. He was testing her sire bond AGAIN! She growled in anger at the realisation and got up from the bed, grabbing her clothes. She was so angry she could punch him. Tears fell from her eyes and she shook her head, so hurt that he would do this. How many times did she have to prove to him? Then she heard him sigh but it was a strangled one that she wasn't meant to hear. She turned around and he had hung his head. She had failed. She had failed? No, she couldn't fail this test, she could do this! She had to tell him what she wanted, she had to disobey his command not to speak and tell him how badly she wanted him. It was the only way. She dropped her clothes again and went back over the bed. He didn't look up at her as she crawled back in place. She was vivid but she was desperate to prove to him that she could do this too. She would kill him after they made love!

She lay back down and tried to concentrate on speaking to him. He looked pained as he looked down at her and she bit her lip and nodded to him. He knew that she understood what was happening now and he nervously ran his fingers up her body again, trying to bring her to the edge once more for that was where her true strength would be tested. She tried to relax into the bed again and recover whatever pleasure she could from his touch. It took a while of him caressing her and touching her skin with his lips before she began to feel the waves of desire flooding through her brain again. She let out a small moan as he rubbed his manhood against her core, his body was now hurting from the pressure build up inside of him. She was glad he was suffering too. Slowly she could feel herself unravel and he began to pant in need for her too, trying not to give in and just enter her as she writhed.

"What do you want Elena?" His words where breathless as he spoke and he looked up at her with pupils wide and open. She could feel the physical burn in her throat as she tried to fight the sire bond. It was strong and she opened her mouth a few times and nothing came out. Damon grimaced in pain and longing as she struggled and a tear rolled down his face as he turned his head away from her. She was losing him again.

"Dammm…" She struggled, feeling as though her throat was a blaze and he stopped his movements, closing his eyes so as not to watch her like this. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.

"In…" she squeezed out. "Put…it…in!" She growled and he looked over at her again. "Put it in!" She shouted now and his mouth fell open in shock. "Damon!" She growled angrily and he entered her in one movement, gasping at the heat and tension inside of her. She gasped as he finally filled her and she felt herself sniffle as tears poured from her. She had done it and it had been the hardest thing she had ever done. She continued to cry as he rocked inside of her, making them both moan in pleasure and need. He sped up, pulling her legs over his shoulders as he sank in deeper and made her head spin. He was urgent now, needing her, needing his own release and he came breathlessly inside of her as she moaned alongside. He could see that she wasn't finished yet though so he continued to thrust as his head fell forward from exhaustion. She panted and felt her orgasm hit her finally as she clenched around him and cried. He held her legs gently as she came down from it and he kissed her knees. She lay back breathing desperately and watching him. He had a stupid goofy smile on his face and a post-coital flush. He withdrew from her and lay beside her. She closed her eyes concentrating on her breathing and grinding her teeth in anger. She knew he still had doubts but he had tricked her into this test and she was madder than hell. After everything she was going through right now, she thought she could at least count on his support rather than his continued paranoia.

She turned her head to him and he smiled back at her. She jumped onto of him in a flash and growled.

"You bastard." She hissed and he frowned as she bit into his neck. He lay back accepting her bite and tried to relax into it, but her teeth bit him harshly and it hurt.

"Elena, ouch!" He complained and held her shoulders but she bit deeper drinking until he tried to push her off of him. She had the upper hand now though as he grew weaker from bloodloss and she tightened her grip on him like a limpit as he struggled.

"Elena, stop…" He gasped as she ignored him. _How about that for ignoring the sire bond Damon! _She thoughtto herself as he began to writhe. She closed her eyes and drank gulp after gulp, trying to ignore the waves of pleasure taking their bodies over. Damon became more and more limp and accommodating the longer she drank until she lifted her head from his neck and looked down at him. He looked up at her dazed and she growled.

"Don't ever do that to me again." She hissed and he nodded weakly, trying to speak but she could see that he was too weak to do so. She should feel guilty but she couldn't tame the anger still boiling inside of her. She got up off the bed and left him there, slamming the door behind her as she went in search of some clothes.


	33. Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

Elena couldn't stop her tears as she rummaged through Stefan's drawers until she found one of her long forgotten t-shirts and a pair of his boxers. She knew it was weird to be going through her ex-boyfriend's things, especially when she was now dating his brother but she couldn't go back into Damon's room right now. She dressed with lightning speed, all the while wiping at her tears with her arm. How could he do that to her? Wasn't her word enough for him? She had asked herself these questions before and she knew the answer deep down. Damon had lived for so long with constant disappointment and heart break, he wasn't just going to start trusting that he might finally have found some happiness.

She sighed, hiccupping from the sheer volume of her tears and sat down at Stefan's desk. She felt so tired, tired and alone. She couldn't trust her mind right now – the hallucinations or whatever they might turn out to be, were unpredictable and she found herself questioning everything she saw or heard. All she had wanted tonight was to fall into Damon's arms and be comforted by him. Have him hold her and make her forget just how crazy everything was. Jeremy was still at home, thinking he wanted to kill her so she couldn't go there and now Damon had been such a jackass that she didn't want to sleep with him tonight. She sobbed, thinking on how she had drained him until he couldn't move and then left him lying helpless. In her head she was screaming at herself wondering how she could do that to him, but there was another voice that told her he deserved what he got. Should she leave him lying in his room like that all night? It must be painful and frightening. The memory of the fear she had felt as Rebbie was draining her entered her mind and she felt nauseous.

"Elena?" Stefan's voice floated to her and she looked up to see him standing in the doorway looking concerned. She sobbed again and he went to her and enfolded her in his arms. She didn't resist, clinging to him and breathing in his familiar comforting scent. She missed this. Stefan had always made her feel so safe and loved. That was all she had wanted from Damon tonight but as usual his own paranoia had ruined it. She wasn't even completely sure whether Damon was capable of the kind of empathy that she so longed for right now, but then, she was keeping things from him. If he knew what she was going through, perhaps he would be more selfless. She cried a fresh flood of tears as Stefan stroked her back uttering words of comfort and kindness. She felt like she wanted to curl up on his knee like she used to, but that wasn't appropriate anymore.

"What's wrong?" He whispered against her hair as he cupped the back of her head gently. She drew in a deep breath and pulled back from him. He wiped the tears from her cheeks, looking at her with such love and adoration that for a second she wanted him to lean in and kiss her, take her away from how hard and confusing everything was with Damon and just give her some solace. He must have read her moment of hesitance in her face and he pulled back from her to give them some distance.

"We had a fight." She spluttered and Stefan made no move to indicate how likely he known this situation would be.

"He still can't get trust that I've broken the sire bond. He keeps testing me." She explained, unsure of whether she should be telling him this. Damon was so private about these aspects of their relationship, he wouldn't be happy about this, but she needed someone.

"Maybe that's a good thing Elena. He wants to protect you from the bond."

"But I just need him to be here for me! I don't have enough strength to keep going round and round in circles like this with him." She stated and for the first time she realised it was true. She wanted Damon so badly, but could she really live like this forever – constantly having to prove herself to him?

"He loves you so much it's clouding his judgement Elena. That's why we have to find this cure. It'll make everything clearer…for all of us." Stefan put to her gently and she got up and went to face the window. She had always loved this room and the view from the balcony. It made her feel slightly normal being in here, almost as though she could pretend she was human again and life was just that bit less complicated.

"Maybe love isn't enough." She said sullenly. Had she really just said that? Thought it? Was she really so hurt and exhausted that she wanted to give up on being with Damon? She could feel her body shake in protest and she wondered how much of it was due to the sire bond. Her body burned when she tried to go against his wishes so if she were to keep away from him, would her body put up a fight? She had declared herself to him, body, mind and soul but was it too much? He claimed her body, that was for sure – no one had pleasured her, excited her on such a level as he did and her heart did belong to him now. What of her mind? She knew she could fight the bond, but it was still hard. The desire to give into it was always dangerous and evidently he could sense just how much. If she was willing to fight it, why wasn't he? Perhaps this was all too hard for him. Perhaps they were just making everything too hard for themselves and everyone else. They were the only ones that wanted them to be together, everyone else thought it was repulsive a notion.

"Elena, I know how hard everything is for you. I can't believe I am going to say this but, please don't make any hasty decisions. Let's focus on finding this cure and then you can deal with anything that follows." Stefan was beside her, his arm around her again and she closed her eyes and leaned into his side. He placed a kiss on her head and she sighed. She was so tired.

"Where is he?" Stefan asked after a few minutes and she opened her eyes again, feeling guilt start to clutch at her insides again.

"He's in his room. I…" She began but felt her face redden with shame as she turned to look at him.

"What?" He asked, confused her expression.

"I drained him and left him there." She finished the sentence as a whisper as she saw the look of shock and disapproval flood Stefan's face. She shook her head and bit her lip. Stefan sighed and didn't ask any further questions as he stared at her.

"I…he…" She tried to explain her actions but she couldn't string the sentence together. She could see the memory of what she had done to Damon in the forest roll through his mind as though he were watching it on a piece of film and she knew that she was dangerously close to crossing the line again. Stefan and Damon may hate each other sometimes but Stefan would always look out for him. Still, he didn't seem to be mad at her. He just looked slightly grieved.

"I'll get him some blood." He said and left the room quickly. She held herself as she listened to him descend the stairs and enter the basement. Should she feed Damon herself? Was she a chicken for leaving Stefan to face the music that she should be listening too?

She left the safety of Stefan's room and went to stand outside of Damon's room, _their room_. She could hear Damon's laboured breathing and she felt dread climb up her spine. She was such a coward. Why hadn't she just had it out with him verbally like a normal person? Why did always have to hurt him, attack him when he angered her? Was that the vampire side of her coming out or was it her? She honestly didn't know. Stefan appeared next to her, watching her closely and she turned to him. He held out the bags to her and she stared at them unsure of whether she could face him.

"If you want to be with him, you're going to have to learn how to deal with him Elena. Both of you are going to have to learn how to get through this." He put the bags in her hands, not waiting for her to decide and turned on his heel. She inhaled a shaky breath and opened the door. Damon had turned on his side as though he had been trying to get out of the bed. He opened his eyes lazily and looked at her. He looked hurt and confused. She went to his side and he slowly turned onto his back, turning his face away from her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered and he nodded. "You shouldn't have tricked me like that." She needed him to know that what he did wasn't ok, despite the fact that her actions had also been in the wrong. He turned back to face her. His skin was ashen and she realised just how badly she had drained him. Could he even speak? She opened a blood bag and put it to his lips. It took some effort but he managed to bring his hand up and take it from her. She sat down on the bed as he looked over her body, a look of confusion and then some other emotion flicking across his face. He drained the bag and took a deep breath.

"Where did you go?" He asked and she felt herself blush. She had nothing to apologise for, she had only went into Stefan's room. Strange how although she knew that it had been such an innocent act – looking for clothes she had left there, she knew that Damon would feel as though it was something to be jealous about. She opened her mouth to relate those thoughts to him but he interrupted.

"Never mind, it's pretty obvious." He grunted and reached for another of the bags in her hands. She frowned and realised that he was examining the boxers she was currently wearing. They were Stefan's and she kicked herself for forgetting.

"I needed clothes." She said bluntly, hoping that would be the end of the conversation but Damon snorted as he drank and she felt anger begin to gather again.

"Don't start." She said and he stopped drinking and shot her a look of anger.

"Are you kidding me?" He said, anger evident and she stood up. "You're wearing my brother's clothes after we just made love and I'm not supposed to be the slightest bit annoyed or suspicious about that?"

"We _did not_ make love Damon. What we did was yet another experiment of yours that I didn't appreciate!" She yelled at him, feeling her blood boil again as he sat up indignantly.

"You did it to me, or have you forgotten that?" He shot back at her and she gritted her teeth.

"That was different and you know it. We both knew what was happening. Tonight was supposed to be about being with you, just loving you and you decided for me that we had to test what we have _again_!" She found her clothes and began pulling them on as he watched with eyes burning like fire.

"What do you expect from me?" Damon yelled now, tossing the empty bag on the floor.

"I expect you to love me! That's all I want! I needed you tonight, I needed you to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be alright." She wiped some stray tears away as she pulled her coat on.

"And how am I supposed to know that?! For all I know this could be the biggest mistake of your life!" He stood up, grabbing her arm as she looked up at him and gasped in heart break. He softened a little and tried to re-word as he saw her pain reflected in her face.

"Wait, I didn't mean…Elena I just meant…"

"I know exactly what you meant." She pulled away from him and took a step back. "You know what? I can't deal with this right now. If you want to go on believing you don't want everything I'm trying to give you, then do it. I can't keep trying to convince you." She stalked from the room, holding her fists clenched. If she was going to leave it was going to be at her own volition, not his. He followed her speechless.

"Elena…" He called after her weakly and she could hear a hint of fear amidst the tiredness in his voice.

"Just leave me alone Damon." She shouted back at him and ran down the stairs. Stefan was standing in the living room watching her in disappointment and pity as she glanced at him on her way out the door.

"Elena…" He called to her as she passed him but she didn't stop. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get as far away from the Salvatore's' as she possibly could and get her life back under control.

"You too Stefan." She said, knowing that Stefan would have heard her and Damon's conversation. Enough was enough.


	34. Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

Caroline had been a nervous wreck all night. Elena had arrived looking both devastated and murderous at the same time. She didn't want to talk about what had happened to make her so unhappy but it didn't take much to guess. Damon.

Caroline glanced at the clock and yawned. She had finally settled Elena down to sleep in the spare bedroom a few hours ago but she had been having horrible nightmares to the extent where she had crawled into bed with her to make sure she wouldn't wake up afraid and unsure of her surroundings. She felt like strangling Damon. This wasn't exactly a new impulse but one she had hoped would die out now that he was with Elena. She had noticed a distinctive change in him, but the dark side was still there too. She had practically had to hold him down when they found Elena in New Orleans and he had lost track of Charlotte. Charlotte had ran as soon as he gave her an opportunity and she could tell what he had in mind to do to her if he caught up with the girl again. It gave her shivers that someone could be full of love and adoration for her friend, but could turn around at the next moment and rip someone apart without blinking.

"No, Damon, no!" Elena cried and Caroline curled over her and whispered soothing words into her ear again. Elena hadn't really talked to her in detail about what had happened with that voodoo witch, but Bonnie had told her that Elena was having nightmares and hallucinations about Damon hurting her. She just didn't understand why. Had Damon actually hurt her and Elena was covering it up or was it some kind of trick the witch had played on her? She could tell that Elena was starting to blur the experiences together. Her friends mind was unravelling before her and she didn't know how to help. Elena seemed to relax against her after a few more minutes of weeping and Caroline closed her eyes. Elena had made it pretty clear she wanted to stay here for a while and work on things with the professor but she didn't want Damon or Stefan to know. Caroline wasn't sure how sensible that was and how difficult it would be for her to keep something like this from Stefan.

The one thing that she had agreed with Elena on, while she was ranting and raving about Damon, was that it would be a good idea to have some space from him for a few days. Caroline knew that Damon wasn't likely to make that very easy, especially considering how they had lost her for days when she was in New Orleans and he had been so frantic when he got to them, but she had to make sure that he stayed away. Elena didn't need him coming around and hassling her when she was trying to figure things out. Bonnie was coming round in the morning with Shane for a session of hypnotherapy so until then at least, Elena would be undisturbed by either Salvatore. How had they all gotten here? Caroline jumped as her phone beeped with a message. She looked at Elena to make sure she hadn't been roused by it and after satisfactory inspection of her rapid eye movements, Caroline reached over and grabbed her phone. Who the hell would be texting her at four in the morning?

_How is the lovely Elena?_

She snorted. There was only one person who talked like that.

_How did you get my number?___She typed back annoyed.

_;-)_ was her reply and she crunched her teeth together. Jack-ass! She abandoned the phone next to her and closed her eyes again. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of acting like she cared. She began to drift off to sleep when the phone vibrated next to her and gave her a fright. She grabbed it, squinting to get her eyes to focus.

I could help.

Oh get lost! She exhaled and threw the phone down again, switching it off vibrate and on to silent. If she was going to have to get up with Elena in a few hours she needed to get at least some sleep. She tried to go back into the lovely, fluffy place she had been in when she had almost drifted off but now it eluded her. Her thoughts transferred to why he was bugging her. Why did he want to be so involved suddenly? It actually sounded as though he cared and she knew that couldn't be true. He was the bad guy! He had said that he had helped them in New Orleans because she was hurting and needed a distraction from her own guilt, but there had to be some other agenda at work with him because there always was.

Still, he had seemed so sincere when he had told her he had done it all because she was afraid for her friend. In that moment he had almost seemed like a nice guy, human even. She shook herself, not wanting to continue down this path of thoughts and closed her eyes again.

The alarm went off much too soon for her liking and she grumbled as she tried to fight off the urge to sleep more. Elena was already up when she turned towards her so she dragged herself out of bed in search of her.

"Hey." Elena greeted her as the coffee machine puffed away.

"Hey."

"Thanks for letting me stay last night. I just needed some space."

"You can stay as long as you want, you know that. My mom works late anyways." Caroline yawned and Elena took in her dishevelled appearance and gave her a concerned look.

"I'm sorry, did I keep you up?" She could tell Elena was nervous about the nightmares.

"It's ok. Are you alright though? You had a pretty rough night." Caroline pointed out. She wanted to know more about what Elena was thinking. Elena shook her head and went to get two coffee cups.

"I don't remember all of the dreams, just the worst ones."

"What happens?" Elena sighed and bit her lip.

"He attacks me." Elena gulped, looking decidedly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

"Has he ever done something like that to you? Is that what makes the dreams so real?"

"What? No! Of course he hasn't!" Elena gasped in horror and Caroline recoiled slightly.

"He did to me." Caroline mumbled and picked at her nail polish. Elena rushed over to her and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry Care. I forgot what he was like with you, before…" Elena apologised and Caroline shook her head with a smile.

"That's the trouble with Damon. You tend to forget all the terrible things he's done because he's nice to you for a while." Elena wasn't sure if she was aiming the statement personally at her or just making a general comment so she sat back and looked into her face.

"So, if he hasn't attacked you before, why are your dreams like this?" Caroline knew she was pushing but she had to know if she was going to help.

"It's how the witch tried to help me break the bond. She made me see hallucinations of him where he would hurt me if I obeyed him and attack me to frighten me and test my resolve." Caroline frowned in sadness for her.

"That's why you were so scared of him when we got there. You really took the wind out his sails." She remembered and Elena looked grieved.

"He still doesn't really understand what happened to me. I couldn't explain it to him in a way that wouldn't make him murderous and vengeful. I just want to forget everything and get on with my life."

"It doesn't look like these nightmares are just going to do that Lena. You need to work them out. Maybe you should just tell him what's happening." She advised.

"No. He will be so angry that I've kept it from him and you know what happens when he's upset." She shook her head vehemently and Caroline sighed. The coffee machine seemed to sigh in agreement and Elena got up from her chair and brought it over filling their cups.

"Relationships are hard even when you don't have secrets Lena. You're not going to be able to keep all of this from him forever." Caroline advised and Elena frowned. She knew Elena didn't want to face it, but she had to at least nudge her in the right direction.

"He's so difficult." Elena grumbled.

"You love him don't you?"

"There's no doubt in my mind." Elena felt herself weaken.

"Then be honest with him. You're going to hurt him more by lying." Elena sighed and swallowed back some guilt and regret.

"Let's just get today over with first ok? Then I'll call him." Elena pulled her cell out of her pocket and glanced down at it. No messages, not one. He was giving her the silent treatment. That was going to make today so much easier, but at the same time she was hurt. He could be such a child when it came to fights, but then again, she had stormed off after having attacked him so she couldn't play the card of moral superiority here either.

"What's wrong?" Caroline interjected as she continued to stare down at the screen.

"Nothing, I just thought I'd heard some messages coming through last night. She snapped the cell shut and put it back in her pocket.

"Yeah, sorry if they woke you." Caroline said before she realised she didn't want Elena to know who had been texting her this morning.

"Tyler checking in?"

"Um, yeah." Caroline blushed slightly as Elena glanced up at her. She was a terrible liar. Elena took in how she was fidgeting and raised her eyebrows.

"Who's lying now?" Elena gave a chuckle and waited for her to respond. Caroline blushed even more and tried to think of what to say when there was a knock at the door. She jumped up gratefully and went to answer it. Bonnie and Shane greeted them and came in. Elena stood up nervously and twisted her hands fidgeting.

"Don't worry Elena, you've got nothing to feel nervous about. I've done this with a lot of people and I really think it'll help you." He took a seat as Bonnie and Caroline busied themselves upstairs. Elena sat down across from him.

"Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes." He encouraged so she lay her head back and tried to follow his instructions.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

"Are you going to sit there and sulk all day?" Stefan teased as he watched Damon twirl his empty glass around with his fingers. Damon made a grunting sound and continued in his self pity.

"Have you called her?"

"Nope." He let the word pop out of his lips, accentuating it. Stefan sat down across from him, trying to get his attention.

"Why?" Damon finally looked up at him.

"Why should I?" he questioned and Stefan sighed in annoyance.

"You can't just ignore your problems like you usually do Damon. You have Elena to think about now. If you're going to be in a relationship then you're going to have to learn to work together."

"Have you been watching Dr Phil again Stefan? You know how much it makes you sound like a teenage girl." Damon retorted, smiling as he amused himself.

"Damon, call her." Stefan ordered in a voice that dropped the smile from Damon's face instantly.

"Why do you care what happens between Elena and me?" He sat forward, trapping Stefan with his stare.

"I'm trusting you to look after her. She needs you right now. Don't run away because things are tough." Stefan replied, hitting Damon with the same intensity of stare. Damon snorted and stood up stretching his arms. This conversation was not going to continue. He wasn't going to sit and have Stefan dictate to him how to behave with her. He headed towards the stairs to have a shower but Stefan stood in front of him in a blur, blocking the way.

"Get out of my way." Damon grunted, he had no patience for any of this today.

"Listen to me, don't mess this up! There's something going on with her. I don't know what it is but it must be important if she thinks it's something she has to keep from us. _You_ are her boyfriend so it's _your_ job to find out what's wrong."

"Which means it's none of _your_ damn business brother. Now get the hell out of my way!" Damon growled as Stefan clenched his jaw angrily.

"I knew you couldn't handle it." Stefan laughed in his face and Damon growled. "It's so much easier to fantasize about getting the girl than it is to actually have her isn't it? And you wonder why you're never their first choice." Damon punched him hard and he fell onto the floor, wiping blood from his mouth as he stood up again.

"Maybe you should throw down your cards now and save her any more disappointment." He added and Damon moved to punch him again. He quickly blurred out of the way and pinned Damon to the wall for a moment, before releasing him with a push. Damon spun around growling, fangs out and Stefan shook his head in disapproval.

"Grow a pair!" Stefan spat and backed away, taking his former seat and picking up a book. Damon stood speechless, watching Stefan act as though nothing had happened between them. He wanted to smash that look of condescension off of Stefan's face but he knew there was no point in wasting the energy. Stefan was right. He didn't know how to deal with this. He'd never really had relationships before, other than with Katherine and it hadn't been much of a relationship. He wasn't good at knowing how to comfort people and he certainly wasn't good at apologising. He still wasn't completely convinced he should be apologising to her – she bit him and then screamed at him like a crazy wench, despite the fact she had clearly payed a visit to 'Casa de Stefan' while he lay throbbing from the burn of the blood loss she had inflicted on him. He moved away from the wall and headed out for some fresh air.

He wanted to call her, he had been fighting the urge since the moment she had left but he didn't know what to say. He pulled his phone out and checked the screen. No messages. Clearly she didn't want to talk to him either. He huffed, leaning against his Camaro and opened a text.

_I'm sorry. _He typed and stared at it. Was he? No. He wasn't. They needed to know if she had broken the bond and if she hadn't they had to find a way to do so. He couldn't lie and say that he trusted that she had, because it wasn't true. He deleted the message and stared at the empty screen for a while, considering his options.

_I love you._

He knew with absolute certainty and with every bone in his body that he did, yet somehow, he didn't feel like declaring it would help right now. Maybe Stefan was right, maybe he couldn't give Elena the kind of love she needed. He had been on his own too long, it was easier than dealing with all of these emotions. He felt overwhelmed and confused by his own, never mind hers on top of that. He deleted the message again and put the phone back into his pocket. He climbed into the car and started the engine. Driving made him calmer, it was almost therapeutic. As a last minute thought he pulled his cell out again and typed as he put the car into gear;

_Miss you._


	35. Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

The hypnotherapy had proved to be a little less relaxing than he had claimed it would be. As soon as she had closed her eyes and listened to his count down, she had seen that room in New Orleans again. She didn't want to be there. She had started to hyperventilate until his calming voice had assured her that it was only in her mind and that she could control what was happening. It was almost like dreaming but she knew she it was a dream so she could change things. Although the shadow Damon had popped up a few times, she had managed to stand up to him and make him disappear. The professor seemed really happy with her progress and had explained to the three of them that her so called hallucinations were simply a result of stress, so by quelling his existence within the state of hypnosis, she could rid herself of them, of him entirely, with a few more sessions. They had all sighed a breath of relief and smiled at his encouraging words. Everything would be fine.

Shane waited until he and Bonnie were back at her place before he decided he had to confide in her about his concerns.

"Bonnie, I think we have a problem." He sat down and beckoned to her to sit across from him. She instantly tensed up. She could tell from the tone of his voice that he was worried and she kicked herself for having believed that Elena's problems were as simple as he had conveyed to them all. She sat down fearing the worst as he sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

"It isn't just a hallucination is it?" Bonnie bridged, hoping she was wrong about her assumption. He looked up at her and sighed.

"No."

"What is it? A spell?"

"Some kind. I'm just not sure exactly how it's being done." He sat back looking tired.

"What do you mean?" She leaned forward, clasping her hands together in concentration.

"It's strange. The Damon figure in her 'hallucination' seems to have much more power and hold on her reality and thoughts than a normal hallucination. It's almost as though it's sentient."

"How's that possible?"

"I think it's a parasite Bonnie."

"A parasite?" Bonnie gulped, picturing some awful creature burrowing its way into Elena's head.

"Well not a parasite but more like a bug. Someone is listening into her thoughts. This Damon character seems to be observing what's happening around her as though he had been implanted in there for that purpose." Bonnie sat back looking confused and worried as Shane tried to think of how to explain himself.

"Imagine I wanted to know what was going on in your life and in your head. What if I could plant something into your conscious mind that seemed familiar to you, someone you knew for example, someone you trusted? You could be easily fooled into believing that you thought you saw that person but imagined it, while they gathered information from you unbeknownst to you." He ran his hands through his hair tensely.

"So you think that that's what this is? That someone's spying on her from inside her head and using Damon as a ruse?"

"Add into that the trauma that is naturally occurring in her sun-conscious as she recovers from her ordeal and her nightmares and you can create a situation where someone might think they are going mad when they are simply acting as a looking glass for the person controlling them."

"Oh my god. The witch in New Orleans – it must be her." Bonnie bit her lip as she felt her adrenaline kicking in. How could another witch who had proclaimed her desire to help Elena do this?

"I have no idea how you would cast or implant something like this Bonnie. If it was her, then she must be very skilled and knowledgeable…" he paused for effect and Bonnie looked up at him, exiting her own thoughts, "and dangerous." Bonnie frowned and stood up, needing to walk some of her adrenaline off as she fidgeted. Shane let her move around as he watched for her reaction.

"Why? Why would she want to watch her?"

"I don't think it's Elena that she is interested in Bonnie." He said in a strange voice that made Bonnie feel uncomfortable. He almost sounded frightened. She stopped pacing and turned to him.

"Then who?" She raised her eyebrows.

"If she was using Elena's mind to construct her sire bond role plays to help Elena break it, then perhaps she saw something about the cure. The mind is a chasm of information and emotion Bonnie. We have no way of knowing what she dug up and discovered in there while Elena was pre-occupied." Bonnie felt sick at the thought of Elena being violated in such a heartless way and she had to sit down again.

"What do we do?"

"We have to try and speed this along and be vigilant. As far as Elena is aware, Jeremy's mark still hasn't been completed, not nearly and Klaus still holds most of the cards. We have to push things on quickly but keep Elena out of the loop."

"Wait, why is this witch interested? Why would she want a cure for vampires?"

"Maybe she wants to destroy it, sell it to the highest bidder? Who knows?" He leaned forward and placed his hand over hers reassuringly. "We have to stay focussed now more than ever. Elena can't know what's happening from this point on and you can't tell her why. If she knows that we are keeping things from her then the witch will pick that up the next time fake Damon makes an appearance to scan her mind."

"Oh god." Bonnie sighed, feeling nauseous again.

"Isn't there a spell that could protect her mind, block out any outside influence?"

"Bonnie it isn't external. Whatever that Damon figure is, it is inside of her mind. Casting a spell to try and extinguish it that could have unknown effects. It could damage her brain." He explained squeezing her hand as she put her hand to her mouth.

"Ok, so what do we do?" She asked shakily and his expression became pained.

"I think we might need some help and you're not going to like from whom." He worded carefully and Bonnie almost laughed in horror. He wanted to involve Klaus? Was he serious?

"Think about it Bonnie. He wants this cure for Elena desperately and he'll stop at nothing to accomplish this task. He won't let anyone stand in the way of getting what he wants. If we are being watched and someone is planning to intercede, he can make provisions. You said he has a group of people sired to him. He had the manpower we might need to ensure the ritual goes down without a hijinks." Everything he was saying was making sense and yet it didn't make her feel any better. For all she knew once Klaus had cured Elena he could turn around and kill them all. If he let Stefan and anyone else who might want to take the cure, become human again then they would be even more vulnerable to any external force that threatened them, even if it wasn't Klaus himself.

"I don't know how we can do this without Elena knowing." She chewed her lip.

"She knows you're helping Jeremy and that Jeremy is struggling around her just now, so let's convince her to leave things in your capable hands. She trusts you. She will believe you if you tell her that she's better off not knowing how things are going." He reasoned and she nodded. It could work. They could take Jeremy back to the Lake house and figure out what they were going to do, beside Elena and Damon were fighting and although she had been concerned about that this morning, she could jump for joy now, knowing that it would be a convenient distraction.

"We only have one more problem." He sounded grave and uncomfortable. "Klaus doesn't trust me and he knows how to pull your strings. How are we going to get him on-board with this plan?" Bonnie sighed relieved that that was the least of their problems and he looked at her confused.

"I know just the girl for the job." She smiled.

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Elena stood looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and she had bags under her eyes. The nightmares were making her jumpy. She was relieved that she had stayed with Caroline. If Damon had seen how badly she had been affected he would be livid and upset. Caroline had told her that she had cried out his name in fear and she had gulped that knowledge down painfully. What would Damon do if he saw her like that? If he saw her screaming in fear of him, when he was helpless to stop them and wasn't responsible for it? She couldn't imagine. At least the professor had assured her that she could get rid of all of this if she focussed on it all like a lucid dream. He had described techniques wherein she could choose an object to appear or a movement she could focus on to know whether or not Damon was real or not. He had advised her to keep it simple and memorable so she had settled for tapping her chest three times. If she was dreaming and she tapped, it should wake her – if it didn't wake her then it meant that she was awake and hallucinating. It would help with her sleeping patterns but not when she was faced with another shadow Damon appearance in her waking moments. Those, the professor was unsure how to diminish directly, other than to try to reduce the power he had over her when in a dream state. Shane had encouraged her diligence to the exercise, believing that the hallucination would hold less power and hold on her conscious life once shadow Damon was less of a threat in her sub-conscious.

She exhaled loudly, feeling run down and splashed her face with cold water.

"Elena! Do you want a coffee?"

"Yes please Care!" She shouted. Caroline was stepping around the subject of Damon very carefully today and she couldn't help but be curious about that. She had heard Caroline's phone beep through the morning, so why was Caroline being so strange about it. If it had been Tyler, she wouldn't have given off the strange air she had this morning. Could it be Klaus? Elena shivered at the thought as she dried her face off with a towel. She heard the door knock at the front door and waited to hear whether Caroline was going to answer it. After a minute she heard Caroline's steps heading for it so she closed her eyes and balanced on the sink for another minute collecting herself. Matt was supposed to be coming over to hang out. Caroline had suggested that they have some normal teenage movie-watching-popcorn-throwing fun for a change and to be honest any distraction from the fact that Damon had texted her that he missed her, would be welcome. She wanted to call him, but she wanted to protect him from this as much as possible. She let out a sigh and turned around to head out to the hallway to greet Matt.

"Elena." Damon was standing in the room looking at her. She jumped surprised.

"What are you doing here?" She asked trying not to sound too accusatory as she stepped towards him. In truth she was glad to see his face despite everything.

"You didn't come home." He stated, holding himself rigidly and she frowned at him. Before she could answer he lunged at her, grabbing her by the throat as the veins in his eyes came to the surface. She struggled against him in terror and managed to pull away enough to scream. She heard Caroline and Matt running towards her and Damon dropped her, fleeing out of the window as she screamed again. She turned to grab Caroline's hand and pull herself up when she saw Damon's face close to hers again. She screamed and threw herself backwards from him, shouting to Caroline to help. Caroline and Damon looked at each in fear as Elena looked between them. Caroline shushed her and slowly crouched down to her as Damon stood back against the wall in astonishment.

"Elena it's ok, it's ok. This is the real Damon. He's not going to hurt you." She comforted and Elena burst into tears. Shadow Damon had never been so real before. Her waking hallucinations of him had simply walked past her or appear around her, he had never been able to speak or hurt her physically. What was happening? She looked up to a distressed Damon and pulled herself together. He was ashen faced as he watched her.

"What the hell is going on Caroline?" He directed the question at her and she could see the realisation that he had been deliberately kept out of the loop, dawn on his face.

"Please Care!" Elena sobbed, still unwilling to tell Damon the whole terrible truth.

"He deserves to know Elena." She said calmly and Elena shook her head in torment.

"Know what?!" He was angry now.

"The things she saw in New Orleans – the other you. He's still around." She stumbled.

"What are you talking about?" He was so agitated. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted him to know.

"The hallucinations are still happening Damon and they are still pretty real, as you can see. Professor Shane is helping try to get rid of them." Elena sniffed and stood up, fixing her clothes as she tried to find something else to focus on other than the look of betrayal he was directing at her.

"You weren't going to mention this?" He asked her, a little calmer now as she sensed that he was hurt. She looked up finally into his eyes.

"He's not you. I didn't want to hurt you." She said, drying some tears from her cheeks. He approached her slowly, his gaze softening.

"This, right now…this hurts me." He said and she could see his eyes becoming tear-filled. He wouldn't want Caroline to see this sensitive side of him, she was amazed that he was demonstrating it. He cupped her face in his hands and she breathed in the smell of his skin, holding his hands to her face as they searched each others' eyes.

"No more lying to me Elena." He said firmly but with a gentle edge and she felt like she wanted to collapse into his arms and have him hold her. Keeping things from him had been so hard and she ached to feel a release of the tension. She nodded at his request and he gave her a smile from the corner of his mouth as he leaned in a brushed her lips. Caroline had snuck out to give them some privacy and Elena was brought back from her fluffy-Damon-cloud as she heard the unmistakeable sound of popcorn popping in the microwave.

"Really? You're actually doing a Drew Barrymore movie moment?" Damon jested and she smiled as she hugged him.

"Not all of us have graduated past teenage popcorn movie nights Damon." She smirked pulling back to see him smile relaxed. "In fact, some of us actually still are teenagers, unlike some old people I know." He laughed and pulled her to his side as they headed towards the living room.

"Old people know how to have the best fun." He whispered seductively in her ear.


	36. Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36

It bothered him. He could smile and pretend and use sex to distract her, but it didn't change anything rattling around inside of his head. He wasn't ok with what was going on and the fact that Elena had lied to him for days. She'd played him like a harp. He had stayed for a little while once Matt had arrived, but he couldn't handle the teenage atmosphere, it was suffocating. He took his leave, Elena assuring him that she would come home to his bed that night. As soon as he was far enough away from their eager vampire hearing, he growled to vent his frustration. That witch had screwed with Elena's brain and he'd let her escape amidst all of the confusion of Elena's rescue. He couldn't believe he had let that happen, even Charlotte had managed to evade him afterwards. He gritted his teeth, cursing himself.

He had to do something, find the witch and force her to undo whatever she had done, or find Charlotte and torture the information out of her. What the hell was this Professor doing as well? He didn't trust the guy one iota and it seemed suspicious to him that he be so eager to help with hypnosis. Damon had always had reservations about hypnotherapy, never having let anyone try it out on him for fear that they would be able to implant some suggestions into his head. It all seemed a little too near to mind control for his liking. He started his car and headed off in the direction of Bonnie's house. Professor creepy seemed to be hanging around there a lot of late.

Damon felt his blood roar in his ears as he banged on the witch's door. This could be a very bad decision. He knew how much the witch hated him, but surely if he was doing this for Elena's wellbeing, maybe the witch would see some sense and help him. No one made any move to answer the door but he could hear them inside, two heart beats racing. He beat the door a little harder, shaking it in its hinges.

"Bonnie I can wait around a long time…" He threatened. Finally he heard movement and took a step back as the door swung open.

"Hello Professor Shady, just the person I was looking for." Damon smirked, staring the other man down. Bonnie spoke from behind the professor, coming around to look at him from the professors' shoulder.

"What do you want Damon?" Bonnie snipped at him. He gave a quick smile at her fiery response before becoming serious again.

"I would like to know exactly what kind of hypno-mojo you are pulling with Elena." Damon tried to smile sweetly at her. She snorted in mocking at him as she and the professor exchanged glances.

"How do you know about that? Isn't Elena finally realising that it's better for her to leave you out of this?" She leaned casually against the doorframe. He scowled in anger but didn't want to give her the satisfaction, so he quickly smirked and gave a chuckle.

"I assume you know about the hallucinations, given the fact you're standing here?" The professor asked and Damon smiled at him threateningly. Why was he hanging around so much? It was making Damon very suspicious of his real intentions. Damon narrowed his eyes at him, pondering whether he should share any information with this guy, which could make him vulnerable.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be off cultivating your evil master plan? Or is Elena's mental health part of it too?" Damon let the words roll off of his tongue like velvet. He did enjoy a good verbal show of strength. The professor simply returned Damon's fake smile.

"Damon!" Bonnie warned and he could tell he was on the verge of a killer headache pretty soon so he should get to the point.

"I need to talk to you privately." Damon leaned in towards him slowly, almost gentlemanly as he tried to use his charm to entice him outside. Bonnie looked at him in distaste. His charms never had worked on her.

"Whatever you have to tell me you can say in front of Bonnie." He said cooly. Damon raised his eyebrows and gave a short laugh. She turned to look at the professor. Interesting how Bonnie was leaning on the professor a lot more than trusting her own magic lately. She had always been the solo witch but now, something had changed. Damon was sure that it spelled trouble but he wasn't quite sure he could put his finger on what kind of trouble yet.

"We are trying some hypnosis to give her back control of her mind again." Bonnie looked up at him.

"It might also help with your sire bond problem." The Professor added and Bonnie glanced at him in surprise. Clearly he had not discussed this with her. Damon glared at him. The Professor continued;

"The mind is a powerful tool when you train it to be more aware. There's a possibility that you could programme someone to have a process of deliberation before they make any conscious decisions."

"In English please?" Damon whined.

"If a platform is built as part of the decision process, you could make it act as a place in the mind where the person could consider whether they consciously want to do something and make their decision based upon their desires, not the desires of their sire rather than them blindly following someone else will."

"Ok." Damon said urging him to continue

"If we can give her back full control she can recognise her hallucinations for what they are and banish them from her mind." The Professor ended.

"With you in the drivers' seat of course." Damon smiled menacingly. "And you think I'm going to trust that you don't have your own agenda in this little experiment?"

"I'm just trying to help your girlfriend get her life back Damon. Isn't that what you want?" Shane smiled knowingly and Damon leaned in as far as he could into the invisible barrier at the doorway.

"Good Samaritan huh? From now on I'm going to be there every time you work your little brain surgery." Damon gritted his teeth.

"No you won't Damon. This isn't about you." Bonnie piped up in disgust at his behaviour. "This is about Elena and for once you need to stay out of it."

"That's going to happen!" Damon laughed sarcastically and Bonnie fumed.

"Do you think you're making this easier? She can't tell whether it's you or a hallucination most of the time. You being around is making it worse for her. It'd be better if you left her alone."

"If we could find the witch who did this, we could speed this process along." Shane said pointedly and Damon gritted his teeth. He growled under his breath and Shane tensed. Bonnie folded her arms confidently and Damon backed away from them, turning and leaving as his mind reeled. He got into his car as they watched from the door.

"That'll keep him occupied." He heard Shane say as Bonnie closed the door.

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"Let me get this straight. You want me to lie to my best friend about the fact that we are sneaking around plotting behind her back?" Caroline asked in dismay as she studied the torn expression on Bonnie's face.

"She's being watched Caroline. I don't like it either but it's the only way." Bonnie explained for the third time as Caroline huffed.

"And now you want me to sweet talk Klaus into helping us?" Bonnie bit her lips as Caroline huffed and shook her head again.

"We need his help."

"Like a hole in the head!" Caroline clipped but she knew that it was true. Strange how that logic just made her felt even more agitated. She really didn't want to have to go to him. He would get her all riled up and try to intimate that all of this was simply an excuse for her to see him. He was so sure of himself. She grunted, stamping her foot as Bonnie smiled at her apologetically.

"Fine!" Caroline sighed, pulling out her cell phone begrudgingly as Bonnie raised her eyebrows in curiosity. Caroline blushed at her scrutiny and mumbled an explanation. "He got my number somehow." Bonnie huffed in surprise as Caroline glanced at her guiltily.

"I didn't give it to him! He won't leave me alone." She grunted and typed in his number, holding it to her ear as she fought the butterflies invading her stomach.

"Caroline!" He said, clearly delighted that she had given in and called him after his onslaught of texts. She huffed down the line at him and Bonnie heard him chuckle in mirth.

"I need to talk to you." She kept her voice tight and straight to the point. "I need your help with something."

"Of course you do." She could actually hear him smiling as he spoke and she gritted her teeth together. "Would you like me to pop over love or would you rather somewhere a bit more public? Wouldn't want Tyler worrying himself into a frenzy would we?"

"You're unbelievable!" She spat and he laughed.

"I take that as a compliment then."

"I'll come to you." She instructed, rather than asked and Bonnie folded her arms around herself as she listened.

"By all means." He said and she hung up, exhaling as though she was suppressing a scream.

"He really gets to you doesn't he?" Bonnie commented and Caroline sighed angrily. She couldn't think of how to respond so she just stood up and brushed herself down, feeling soiled by the verbal exchange with him.

"Let's get this over with." Caroline picked up her jacket and Bonnie sat up straight. "I'll call you once I've spoken to him. Is Shane heading over?"

"Yeah, Elena wanted to grab some things from her place before she heads back over to the boarding house tonight." Bonnie explained.

"I hope she knows what she's doing. Damon was freaked out when she flipped earlier." Caroline said and Bonnie grunted angrily.

"Don't I know it, he charged to my place like a bull."

"Do you think he knows something's going on?" Caroline gulped, thinking on his usual treatment towards them when he was angry.

"I wouldn't put it past him. Hopefully he'll be distracted by Elena enough not to notice what we are up to." Bonnie chewed her lip.

"What exactly are we up to? I mean how do we speed this up?"

"With Klaus's help we can spread Jeremy mark as quickly as possible and be on guard for any intrusion to getting the cure."

"You know he'll try and turn lots of people rather than helping us find vampires for Jeremy to kill." Caroline pointed out and Bonnie nodded grimly.

"That's where you come in." Bonnie smiled apologetically and Caroline let out a long sigh.

"No pressure then!" She raised her hands up flippantly as she headed for the door.

"Care, be careful. You know how he feels about you." Bonnie called from her chair and Caroline snorted as she left, her stomach doing summersaults.

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Damon sat idly, drinking his bourbon slowly as he scanned the sea of people frolicking in the street in front of him. He used to love New Orleans, its people, the chaos of the festival time, the smell of the excitement – it had all been so tangible and alluring. Since Charlotte, he hadn't been able to come back here in fear of not being able to ditch her again. The longer he sat here waiting, the more agitated the whole aroma and lure of the people around him made him. He had an idea that she would still be hanging around New Orleans. Charlotte didn't have much of a capacity for self preservation and he imagined that that hadn't changed much. She would still be here, he knew it and he was counting on the fact that, un-sired or not, she still wouldn't be able to resist him. He just had to wait and she would appear. He wasn't sure what he would do once she did. He could ease her into thinking that he wanted to see her, get information out of her voluntarily by playing on her weakness for him, or he could just start pulling her limbs off until she told him everything he wanted to know. He hummed to himself, running his fingers around the rim of the glass as he considered it. After what Charlotte had lead Elena into, he felt justified in a little torture. Then again, Elena wouldn't like it. Elena hated seeing that side of him.

He sat for a few hours as the crowds got rowdy and drunk as he kept his eyes focussed on his search. After a few more bourbons and blushing women had approached him, through alcohol fuelled lust and confidence, he finally saw her. He smiled as reassuringly as he could muster, waiting for her to take the bait. He was a master at controlling his body language and he sat back looking relaxed as she approached.

"Damon?" Her voice shook, laced with fear and anxiety. He smiled at her and she seemed to relax. People believed what they wanted to and Charlotte didn't need much encouragement as he offered her the seat across from him, gesturing with his hand. She sat down, her eyes trained on him still.

"You didn't say goodbye." He said casually and her shoulders relaxed. He indicated to a passing waiter to bring her a glass of bourbon.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked and he exhaled through his nose.

"Not if you tell me what I want to know." She began to tremble as he smiled again. The waiter placed her glass down in front of her, eyeing Damon suspiciously because of her disposition, before leaving them in privacy again. She lifted the glass and drank it all in one go to steady her nerves.

"Where's the witch?" He kept his tone calm.

"I don't know." She answered and he leaned forward slightly, making her twitchy.

"Charlotte it'd make me so much happier if you told me where I can find her." He smouldered at her and observed the wheels in her head turning. She grimaced and her body tensed as though she was being electrocuted. He watched in curiosity until she relaxed again and looked at him.

"I don't have to tell you anymore." She said lightly and he frowned. She really had broken the sire bond. He sat back in his chair as he watched her. Evidently it still caused her some pain to resist him. How long ago had she broken it? Would it be like this for Elena forever?

"Do you still see things Charlotte?" He asked. She kept herself tight lipped. He growled under his breath and she tensed visibly, trembling again. "I asked you a question." His tone was cold, he couldn't hold it back.

"Please don't hurt me Damon. I love you so much." Her eyes filled with tears.

"If you loved me you would tell me what I want to know." He growled and she gave a small sob, attracting the interest of the waiter again as he milled around behind Damon. Damon sat forward in his chair again and she tensed, bringing the waiter to the table.

"Excuse me Miss, can I get you anything?" The waiter said focussing on her. Damon gave a clipped laugh and looked up at him. The waiter ignored him and continued. "I can grab a cab for you?"

Damon stood up abruptly, pushing the waiter a step backwards as he grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her to her feet. The waiter shot him a glare and tensed his biceps as he reviewed Damon's stance. It looked like torture plan B was the only option left. He had to get her back to Mystic Falls to prevent drawing too much attention to himself. If the witch was still hiding in New Orleans he had to have the upper hand. If he caused a scene here, he might lose the opportunity to find her unawares. He turned to Charlotte and softened his face into one of seduction. She looked up at confused as he released her arm and took her hand instead.

"I'm just so hurt Charlotte. I thought you cared about me." He lied and her expression became filled with wonder. The waiter backed off a little as she reached up and stroked Damon's face. He played the wounded feelings card and managed to let a tear spill out of the corner of his eye just for her.

"I really need your help." He said and she softened completely and nodded. He tugged her hand gently and he guided her away from the restaurant, throwing some bills onto the table and smirking at the waiter before leading her to his car. He was really going to enjoy this.


End file.
